Record Platform Research Articles

Participatory sport events in times of COVID-19: analysing the (virtual) sport behaviour of event participants

ABSTRACT Research question Due to government restrictions because of COVID-19, all participatory sport events (PSEs) were cancelled. As a result, knowledge is needed as to how and to what extent participants of PSEs modified their sport behaviour to fill the void of event cancellation. Therefore, this study aimed to (1) investigate to what extent event participants have modified their sport behaviour as a result of the COVID-19 measures, and (2) analyse the factors that determine participation in virtual events (real activities using an online recording platform). Research methods A total of 2869 respondents completed an online survey which was widely disseminated in Flanders (Belgium) six weeks after the announcement of the COVID-19 lockdown. The sample included both event and non-event participants. Descriptive and binary logistic regression analyses were used to investigate how event participants adapted their sport behaviour and which factors determined virtual event participation. Results and findings Since the COVID-19 measures, event participants did not decrease the frequency but only the intensity of their sport behaviour. Based on social ecological theory, participation in virtual events could be explained by both individual determinants (e.g. motivation towards developing skills), and interpersonal determinants (e.g. previous participation in a virtual event). Implications This study contributes to research on the impact of COVID-19 measures and consequently the cancellation of PSEs on sport behaviour of event participants. Confronted with an uncertain future, the findings provide insights for event organisers to develop and optimise virtual event experiences in order to reach non-event participants as well.

Utilizing multimodal imaging to visualize potential mechanism for sudden death in epilepsy

Sudden death in epilepsy or SUDEP is a fatal condition that accounts for more than 4000 deaths each year. Limited clinical and preclinical data on sudden death suggest critical contributions from autonomic, cardiac, and respiratory pathways. A potential mechanism for such sudden and severe cardiorespiratory dysregulation may be linked to acid reflux-induced laryngospasm. Here, we expand on our previous investigations and utilize a novel multimodal approach to provide visual evidence of acid reflux-initiated cardiorespiratory distress and subsequent sudden death in seizing rats.We used systemic kainic acid to acutely induce seizure activity in Long Evans rats, under urethane anesthesia. We recorded electroencephalography (EEG), electrocardiography (ECG), chest plethysmography, and esophageal pH signals through a multimodal recording platform, during simultaneous fast MRI scans of the rat stomach and esophagus. MRI images, in correlation with electrophysiology data were used to identify seizure progression, stomach acid movement up the esophagus, cardiorespiratory changes, and sudden death.In all cases of sudden death, esophageal pH recordings alongside MRI images visualized stomach acid movement up the esophagus. Severe cardiac (ST segment elevation), respiratory (intermittent apnea) and brain activity (EEG narrowing due to hypoxia) changes were observed only after acid reached larynx, which strongly suggested onset of laryngospasm following acid reflux. The complementary information coming from electrophysiology and fast MRI scans provided insight into the mechanism of esophageal reflux, laryngospasm, obstructive apnea, and subsequent sudden death in seizing animals. The results carry clinical significance as it outlines a potential mechanism that may be relevant to SUDEP in humans.

Implementation and justification of a curriculum-wide electronic health record platform

Background and purposeIn order to develop practice-ready pharmacists as mandated by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Accreditation Standards, exposing students to health information technologies used in clinical practice, like electronic health records (EHRs), is imperative. While the benefits of using EHRs have been described in the literature, limited information or guidance exists on how these tools can incorporate various activities and topics to be implemented throughout an entire curriculum. The purpose of this report is to describe the curriculum-wide implementation of a simulated EHR software, including the novel learning experiences and costs incurred by the college. Educational activity and settingThe EHR was implemented in various courses across the pharmacy school curriculum in the first, second, and third professional years. FindingsDuring the final year of implementation, the EHR platform was utilized in each of the three didactic years of the pharmacy program. Twenty-two faculty members created cases using the EHR platform. These cases were used across 16 courses and were accessed by students 7191 times during the implementation process. The cost per use of the EHR platform was approximately half that of the most frequently used electronic learning database used in the program. SummaryIn the three years since its inception, the EHR has been highly utilized as evidenced by the overall number of experiences for students, the variety of experiences, and the number of faculty who used the EHR in their course.

Culture of Rat Primary Cortical Cells for Microelectrode Array (MEA) Recordings to Screen for Acute and Developmental Neurotoxicity.

Neurotoxicity testing of chemicals, drug candidates, and environmental pollutants still relies on extensive in vivo studies that are very costly, time-consuming, and ethically debated due to the large number of animals typically used. Currently, rat primary cortical cultures are widely used for in vitro neurotoxicity studies, as they closely resemble the in vitro brain with respect to the diversity of cell types, their physiological functions, and the pathological processes that they undergo. Common in vitro assays for neurotoxicity screening often focus on very target-specific endpoints such as morphological, biochemical, or electrophysiological changes, and such narrow focus can hamper translation and interpretation. Microelectrode array (MEA) recordings provide a non-invasive platform for extracellular recording of electrical activity of cultured neuronal cells, thereby enabling the evaluation of changes in neuronal (network) function as a sensitive and integrated endpoint for neurotoxicity screening. Here, we describe an in vitro approach for assessing changes in neuronal network function as a measure for neurotoxicity, using rat primary cortical cultures grown on MEAs. We provide a detailed protocol for the culture of rat primary cortical cells, and describe several experimental procedures to address acute, subchronic, and chronic exposure scenarios. We additionally describe the steps for processing and analyzing MEA and cell viability data. © 2021 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Isolation and culture of rat primary cortical cells on 48-well MEA plates Support Protocol 1: Pretreatment and washing of 48-well MEA plates before first use or for re-use Support Protocol 2: Coating of 48-well MEA plates with 0.1% PEI solution Basic Protocol 2: MEA measurements during acute exposure Alternate Protocol 1: MEA measurements during subchronic exposure Alternate Protocol 2: MEA measurements during chronic exposure Support Protocol 3: Determination of cell viability after MEA experiments Basic Protocol 3: MEA data processing Basic Protocol 4: Analyzing MEA experiments after acute and subchronic exposure Alternate Protocol 3: Analyzing MEA experiments after chronic exposure.

P356 A comparison of innovative strategies to promote engagement with an IBD patient portal

Abstract Background Patient portals are available on most major electronic health record (EHR) platforms and present many opportunities to improve patient engagement with services, the quality of data captured and therefore healthcare outcomes and patient satisfaction. Our centre looks after 5100 patients with IBD. We recently adopted the EPIC Systems patient portal MyChart which allows patients to view results, letters and complete patient reported outcomes (PRO). At baseline, few patients were registered for this platform. Our aim was to compare patient engagement with MyChart using a low and higher cost approach and to evaluate patient satisfaction with the platform. Methods 160 consecutive patients were invited to join MyChart between September and October 2020. The low-intensity intervention group were invited to join MyChart via a standardised email without further communication. Newly registered patients and active patients were sent a portal message with disease-specific PRO questionnaire 7 days prior to clinic (HBI, SCCAI and IBD Control). Patients in the high-intensity intervention group received a telephone reminder to encourage completion at each step, which took on average 2 minutes, in addition to email. Engagement with the platform was measured prospectively. After clinic a patient-experience questionnaire was sent to all patients who signed up to the platform. Results 72 patients were included in the low intensity group and 88 in the high intensity group. At baseline only 33% patients were already signed up to MyChart. Significantly more patients newly registered with the patient portal following the high intensity intervention compared to the low (75% vs. 30%, p <0.0001). Overall, patients in the high intensity group were significantly more likely to complete the PRO compared to the low (53% vs. 28%, p=0.002). Patients already registered were 5 times more likely to complete the PRO in the high intensity group compared to low (p=0.017). Platform engagement was not significantly impacted by gender or ethnicity. There was a trend toward lower engagement in patients over 65. 63 patients provided feedback. 87% found MyChart easy to use and 94% said they would complete the PRO questionnaires again. Conclusion In our patient cohort, a higher intensity strategy significantly increased patient registration and engagement with a new patient portal at a minimal cost of time and resource. Healthcare providers can facilitate patient engagement with patient portals and overcome barriers to adoption to unlock transformative opportunities for better quality IBD care, disease monitoring and population-based research.

A blockchain-based system to enhance aircraft parts traceability and trackability for inventory management

Aircraft spare parts inventory management (ASPM) has played a critical role in tracing and tracking spare parts as any related maintenance or movement shall be recorded. Traceability and trackability of data ensure the compliance of airworthiness requirements. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has strongly emphasised the significance of quality traceability data throughout the aircraft part’s life cycle, leading to enhanced inventory control accuracy, reduced maintenance error, and effective decision-making processes. However, with the rapid increase of spare parts types, the complexity of aircraft parts multi-stage supply chains leads to inefficient tracing and tracking operations with unsatisfactory traceability data quality and information security. This paper proposed a blockchain-based system that provided a managerial platform for accurate recording of spare parts traceability data with organisational consensus and validation using Hyperledger Fabric and Hyperledger Composer. A data model has been determined based on the existing ASPM, enabling information integrity during transaction operations. The channel mechanism has yielded a trustful data sharing platform between each contracting organisation for logistics and operational arrangements, which has enhanced information visibility and security. The blockchain-based system, executed under a decentralised ledger mechanism, shall improve the quality of traceability data and reliable information sharing within the spare parts supply chain. The enhanced blockchain-based inventory management system can establish the digital twin of aviation as part of Industry 4.0 in the future.

First Evaluation of a Newly Constructed Underwater Pulse Oximeter for Use in Breath-Holding Activities.

Studying risk factors in freediving, such as hypoxic blackout, requires development of new methods to enable remote underwater monitoring of physiological variables. We aimed to construct and evaluate a new water- and pressure proof pulse oximeter for use in freediving research. The study consisted of three parts: (I) A submersible pulse oximeter (SUB) was developed on a ruggedized platform for recording of physiological parameters in challenging environments. Two MAX30102 sensors were used to record plethysmograms, and included red and infra-red emitters, diode drivers, photodiode, photodiode amplifier, analog to digital converter, and controller. (II) We equipped 20 volunteers with two transmission pulse oximeters (TPULS) and SUB to the fingers. Arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate (HR) were recorded, while breathing room air (21% O2) and subsequently a hypoxic gas (10.7% O2) at rest in dry conditions. Bland-Altman analysis was used to evaluate bias and precision of SUB relative to SpO2 values from TPULS. (III) Six freedivers were monitored with one TPULS and SUB placed at the forehead, during a maximal effort immersed static apnea. For dry baseline measurements (n = 20), SpO2 bias ranged between −0.8 and −0.6%, precision between 1.0 and 1.5%; HR bias ranged between 1.1 and 1.0 bpm, precision between 1.4 and 1.9 bpm. For the hypoxic episode, SpO2 bias ranged between −2.5 and −3.6%, precision between 3.6 and 3.7%; HR bias ranged between 1.4 and 1.9 bpm, precision between 2.0 and 2.1 bpm. Freedivers (n = 6) performed an apnea of 184 ± 53 s. Desaturation- and resaturation response time of SpO2 was approximately 15 and 12 s shorter in SUB compared to TPULS, respectively. Lowest SpO2 values were 76 ± 10% for TPULS and 74 ± 13% for SUB. HR traces for both pulse oximeters showed similar patterns. For static apneas, dropout rate was larger for SUB (18%) than for TPULS (<1%). SUB produced similar SpO2 and HR values as TPULS, both during normoxic and hypoxic breathing (n = 20), and submersed static apneas (n = 6). SUB responds more quickly to changes in oxygen saturation when sensors were placed at the forehead. Further development of SUB is needed to limit signal loss, and its function should be tested at greater depth and lower saturation.

A Technology Acceptance Model for Deploying Masks to Combat the COVID-19 Pandemic in Taiwan (My Health Bank): Web-Based Cross-sectional Survey Study.

BackgroundThe successful completion of medical practices often relies on information collection and analysis. Government agencies and medical institutions have encouraged people to use medical information technology (MIT) to manage their conditions and promote personal health. In 2014, Taiwan established the first electronic personal health record (PHR) platform, My Health Bank (MHB), which allows people to access and manage their PHRs at any time. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Taiwan has used MIT to effectively prevent the spread of COVID-19 and undertaken various prevention measures before the onset of the outbreak. Using MHB to purchase masks in an efficient and orderly way and thoroughly implementing personal protection efforts is highly important to contain disease spread.ObjectiveThis study aims to understand people’s intention to use the electronic PHR platform MHB and to investigate the factors affecting their intention to use this platform.MethodsFrom March 31 to April 9, 2014, in a promotion via email and Facebook, participants were asked to fill out a structured questionnaire after watching an introductory video about MHB on YouTube. The questionnaire included seven dimensions: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, health literacy, privacy and security, computer self-efficacy, attitude toward use, and behavioral intention to use. Each question was measured on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from “strongly disagree” (1 point) to “strongly agree” (5 points). Descriptive statistics and structural equation analysis were performed using SPSS 21 and AMOS 21 software.ResultsA total of 350 valid questionnaire responses were collected (female: 219/350, 62.6%; age: 21-30 years: 238/350, 68.0%; university-level education: 228/350, 65.1%; occupation as student: 195/350, 56.6%; average monthly income <NT $30,000 [<US $1054.89]: 230/350, 65.7%; residence in northern Taiwan: 236/350, 67.4%; and health status perceived as “good”: 171/350, 48.9%). Five indicators, including chi-square test (X2310=2.63), goodness-of-fit index (0.85), adjusted goodness-of-fit index (0.81), comparative fit index (0.91), and root mean square error of approximation (0.07), were calculated. The results indicated a good fit. Further analysis indicated that the most important factor affecting respondents’ behavioral intention to use MHB was their attitude toward use (0.78), followed by perceived ease of use (0.65), perceived usefulness (0.41), health literacy (0.10), and privacy and security (0.07).ConclusionsFrom the perspective of the populace, this study explored the factors affecting the use of MHB and constructed an interpretation model with a strong goodness of fit. The results of our analysis are consistent with the technology acceptance model. Through the diverse value-added services of MHB, Taiwan's experience in pandemic prevention with smart technology can facilitate future responses to unknown, emerging infectious diseases.

The problem of art teaching based on interactive multimedia assisted instruction platform

When digital technology reproduces and simulates real scenes, it can realistically multi-dimensionally present and simulate real-life situations. This solves the problem that the design methods that are difficult to avoid in art design teaching are out of touch with the real space environment, and the design concept and function are out of touch. The openness of the teaching knowledge of art design in interactive teaching platform is reflected in the informationization of resources and the development of diverse knowledge. This paper proposes an architecture scheme of multimedia remote interactive teaching system composed of network multimedia teaching platform, general network teaching platform, digital resource management platform, streaming media resource recording platform and interactive distance learning platform. The system architecture has the characteristics that the underlying data are mutually integrated and the platforms complement each other. The essential characteristics of e-Learning are provided in the interaction characteristics, the dynamic resource scheduling function is enabled, and the multimedia-assisted remote interactive teaching in the future m-Learning and u-learning eras The system proposes a vision.

Regenstrief teaching electronic medical record (tEMR) platform: a novel tool for teaching and evaluating applied health information technology.

The objective of this study is to provide an overview of the Regenstrief Teaching Electronic Medical Record (tEMR), how the tEMR could be used, and how it is currently being used in health professions education. The tEMR is a derivative of a real-world electronic health record (EHR), a large, pseudonymized patient database, and a population health tool designed to support curricular goals. The tEMR has been successfully adopted at 12 health professional, public health, and health information technology (HIT) schools, with over 11 800 unique student users and more than 74 000 logins, for case presentation, to develop diagnostic and therapeutic plans, and to practice documentation skills. With the exponential growth of health-related data and the impact of HIT on work-life balance, it is critical for students to get early EHR skills practice and understand how EHR’s work. The tEMR is a promising, scalable, flexible application to help health professional students learn about common HIT tools and issues.

Abstract P93: The Effects of Covid-19 on Telestroke Care Delivery

Background: Telestroke is increasingly being utilized to deliver acute stroke care to patients without in-person access to stroke expertise. After the U.S. emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020, reports of its effects on acute stroke care surfaced. This review examines the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on telestroke care delivery in a large telestroke network, spanning 36 states and 340 hospitals throughout the nation. Methods: For this retrospective observational study, data was reported from the internal medical record platform from three separate time periods - a year before the pandemic (March 2019 - May 2019), the three months immediately prior to the pandemic (December 2019 - February 2020), and the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. (March 2020 - May 2020). Two groups were studied, those seen in the emergency department (ED) with a suspected stroke diagnosis, and those who received alteplase in the ED. Results: The analysis revealed a decrease in patient volumes in both groups during the pandemic. The presentation time did not significantly vary between any of the stroke or alteplase groups. There was no significant difference in door-to-consult request times in the pandemic vs prior to the pandemic. The door-to-video time was shorter in the pandemic in alteplase patients compared to immediately prior ( P =0.04), but not compared to 2019 ( P =0.35). There was no significant difference in door-to-decision times or door-to-needle times in all of the groups. There was no difference in stroke severity in the alteplase group during the pandemic, but in the stroke group, stroke severity was higher during the pandemic ( P &lt;0.01). Rates of thrombolysis did not decrease during the pandemic. Conclusion: COVID-19 has strained the U.S. emergency medical system and created unique challenges to treating patients with acute ischemic stroke. Likely due to the size and heterogeneity of the patient population, minimal adverse effects on telestroke process metrics were seen in this particular large teleneurology practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. This review highlights the resilience of our nation’s stroke system of care to withstand the stressor of a worldwide pandemic.

Abstract MP22: Sex Differences in the Delivery of Acute Telestroke Care

Background: Sex differences are encountered in many aspects of ischemic stroke, including risk factors, presenting symptoms, stroke mechanism, acute interventions and functional outcomes. As telestroke services continue to expand, many patients utilize telestroke for the evaluation and treatment of suspected stroke symptoms. To date, the existence of such differences between sexes has not been identified in the patient population having utilized telestroke for acute stroke care. Methods: A retrospective observational study of the experience of a single teleneurology practice serving 340 hospitals from April 2018 to June 2020 was performed. Patients seen in the emergency department (ED) with a diagnosis of suspected stroke were included. Data from the acute stroke encounter was reported through the current medical record platform. Results: Within the queried period, there were 11,454 male and 11,794 female patients identified as having received ED telestroke evaluation for suspected acute stroke. Males were younger than females (67 vs 70, P &lt;0.01). Males had higher rates of prior stroke, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and coronary disease than females ( P &lt;0.01), while females had higher rates of atrial fibrillation ( P =0.03) and TIA ( P &lt;0.01). Rates of antiplatelet and anticoagulants were higher in males ( P &lt;0.01) than females. There were no differences in time to ED presentation, time to request consult or make a thrombolysis decision, or length of consult. Females had higher stroke severity ( P &lt;0.01) and door-to-needle times ( P &lt;0.01), but lower alteplase rates ( P =0.02) compared to males. Conclusion: This review of a national heterogeneous telestroke patient population is indicative of sex differences in multiple aspects of acute ischemic stroke, most notably in thrombolysis delivered via telestroke. Further investigation into the etiology of such differences is warranted, as well as a survey of functional outcomes. As telemedicine continues to expand in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that the reasons behind this disparity are investigated.

The role of smart monitoring digital health care system based on smartphone application and personal health record platform for patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019

BackgroundThe massive outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Daegu city and Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea (ROK), caused the exponential increase in new cases exceeding 5000 within 6 weeks. Therefore, the community treatment center (CTC) with a digital health care monitoring system based on the smartphone application and personal health record platform (PHR) was implemented. Thus, we report our experience in one of the CTCs to investigate the role of CTC and the feasibility of the digital health care monitoring system in the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThe Gyeongbuk-Daegu 2 CTC was set up at the private residential facility. Admission criteria were 1) patients < 65 years with COVID-19, 2) patients without underlying medical comorbidities, and 3) COVID-19 disease severity of mild class. Admitted patients were placed under monitoring of vital signs and symptoms. Clinical information was collected using the smartphone application or telephone communication. Collected information was displayed on the PHR platform in a real-time fashion for close monitoring.ResultsFrom Mar 3, 2020, to Mar 26, 2020, there was a total of 290 patients admitted to the facility. Males were 104 (35.9%). The median age was 37 years. The median time between the COVID-19 diagnosis and admission was 7 days. Five patients were identified and were transferred to the designed COVID-19 treatment hospital for their urgent medical needs. The smartphone application usage to report vital signs and symptoms was noted in 96% of the patients. There were no deaths of the patients.ConclusionsOur results suggest that implementation of the CTC using a commercial residence facility and digital health care technology may offer valuable solutions to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Telehealth Optimization – Role of Clinical Athletic Trainers In Orthopedic/Sports Medicine Practice

Background: Prior to COVID-19, telehealth (TH) implementation in most health systems was minimal. The transition to high rates of TH was dramatic in response to COVID-19, and many health systems struggled to develop optimal, efficient TH workflows. Hypothesis/Purpose: The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of clinically integrated athletic trainers (ATs) into the TH transition of a major orthopedic academic center through growth of TH visits as well as physician satisfaction. Methods: Workflows and tip sheets were designed to include considerations of TH visit increases, adoption of appropriate technology platforms and optimal staff models. The rapid rate of TH adoption by orthopedic providers as well as the rates of TH visits were monitored. Growth of TH and in person (IP) visits was reviewed over a 4 month period. The percentage of TH visits compared to total visits was calculated. These results were then subjectively reviewed by physician leadership for satisfaction and effectiveness of the TH clinic. Results: TH became common practice in March due to COVID-19 social distancing measures. In mid-May, the organization lifted restrictions to allow for greater IP visits. March – June, TH visits were 291, 702, 408 and 193, respectively. IP visits were 862, 393, 730 and 788 for months March – June, respectively. Percentage of TH visits was highest in April, accounting for 64% of all visits (Figure 1). At the beginning of TH implementation (March), the organizational electronic medical record platform was used for virtual visits. There was a high drop-rate, inability to share images and overall patient dissatisfaction. TH visits were transitioned to a 3rd party platform in April. Initial concerns were that it required more man-power to run: families had to be emailed a link, patients were manually checked-in/out, and documentation had to be collected. ATs were used exclusively to coordinate and execute the visits. Physician satisfaction for TH visits resulted in compliance and increased desire to continue a virtual-based clinic. Discussion/Conclusion: While the future of TH is not clear health systems will increasingly rely on this modality. Developing optimal workflows will be critical for further acceptance, effectiveness, and managing the financial costs/returns of providing this service. A clinically integrated athletic training team can be utilized to develop, monitor and maintain a TH system, both for sports medicine and general orthopedic practices.

3D Particle Free Printing of Biocompatible Conductive Hydrogel Platforms for Neuron Growth and Electrophysiological Recording.

Electrically conductive 3D periodic microscaffolds are fabricated using a particle-free direct ink writing approach for use as neuronal growth and electrophysiological recording platforms. A poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA)/pyrrole ink, followed by chemical in situ polymerization of pyrrole, enables hydrogel printing through nozzles as small as 1 μm. These conductive hydrogels can pattern complex 2D and 3D structures and have good biocompatibility with test cell cultures (~94.5% viability after 7 days). Hydrogel arrays promote extensive neurite outgrowth of cultured Aplysia californica pedal ganglion neurons. This platform allows extracellular electrophysiological recording of steady-state and stimulated electrical neuronal activities. In summation, this 3D conductive ink printing process enables preparation of biocompatible and micron-sized structures to create customized in vitro electrophysiological recording platforms.

Ears in the Sky: Potential of Drones for the Bioacoustic Monitoring of Birds and Bats

In the context of global biodiversity loss, wildlife population monitoring is a major challenge. Some innovative techniques such as the use of drones—also called unmanned aerial vehicle/system (UAV/UAS)—offer promising opportunities. The potential of UAS-based wildlife census using high-resolution imagery is now well established for terrestrial mammals or birds that can be seen on images. Nevertheless, the ability of UASs to detect non-conspicuous species, such as small birds below the forest canopy, remains an open question. This issue can be solved with bioacoustics for acoustically active species such as bats and birds. In this context, UASs represent an interesting solution that could be deployed on a larger scale, at lower risk for the operator, and over hard-to-reach locations, such as forest canopies or complex topographies, when compared with traditional protocols (fixed location recorders placed or handled by human operators). In this context, this study proposes a methodological framework to assess the potential of UASs in bioacoustic surveys for birds and bats, using low-cost audible and ultrasound recorders mounted on a low-cost quadcopter UAS (DJI Phantom 3 Pro). The proposed methodological workflow can be straightforwardly replicated in other contexts to test the impact of other UAS bioacoustic recording platforms in relation to the targeted species and the specific UAS design. This protocol allows one to evaluate the sensitivity of UAS approaches through the estimate of the effective detection radius for the different species investigated at several flight heights. The results of this study suggest a strong potential for the bioacoustic monitoring of birds but are more contrasted for bat recordings, mainly due to quadcopter noise (i.e., electronic speed controller (ESC) noise) but also, in a certain manner, to the experimental design (use of a directional speaker with limited call intensity). Technical developments, such as the use of a winch to safely extent the distance between the UAS and the recorder during UAS sound recordings or the development of an innovative platform, such as a plane–blimp hybrid UAS, should make it possible to solve these issues.

An investigation of fire evacuation performance in irregular underground commercial building affected by multiple parameters

Irregular underground commercial buildings (IUCB) are difficult to evacuate because of large space depth, complex form changes, and dense crowd. Fire evacuation performance of IUCB is of great practical importance with the development of underground buildings. To analyze the influence of different evacuation parameters on the properties of IUCB fire evacuation, this research gives person evacuation time under different strategies, action time of agent, and evacuation time based on IUCB fire evacuation numerical analysis model. A virtual reality system (VRS) including testing equipment and record platform is designed to perform model validation. Influence of three parameters are also analyzed on the performance of IUCB fire evacuation, including evacuation numbers, minimal group effect and pre-action time. Social force model and Generalized random graph model are applied to behaviors of evacuee. The results show that crowd congestion becomes a key factor determining evacuation time after the number of evacuees’ increases by 50.0%. The unbalanced use of exits reduces the overall evacuation rate. The average evacuation time, the overall evacuation time, and the total evacuation time of 95.0% population increase by 13.3%, 36.0%, and 15.9% respectively. When 50.0% of the evacuees are set as the minimal group effect, the overall evacuation time increased by the minimal group effect aggravates the congestion in some routes, but the minimal group effect could reduce the long tail time. Reducing the pre-action time can improve the overall evacuation rate in the early stage of evacuation. The basic linear relationship between pre-action time and evacuation time is presented. This research can provide the guidance for exit fire evacuation for IUCB to be built, which can also reduce the evacuation time in fire evacuation.

Disparity in piezofluorochromism for twisted mono-carbazole-based AIEgens resulting from interchanging electron-rich substituents: effect of coplanarity on twisted π-conjugates

Newly established carbazole-based aggregation-induced emission-active fluorogens are recognized with piezo-fluorochromic features that vary with the effect of planarity. Suitable probe is demonstrated as a platform for rewritable optical recording.

A pandemic response to home delivery for ambulatory ECG monitoring: Development and validation

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a protocol was designed for mail-out devices and educational materials created to teach patients how to install a device for 2 weeks of continuous ambulatory ECG monitoring. We compared data collection from two sequential patient populations; one who received standard device application in the same clinic in the months before the pandemic response, and another, who received their device by mail for self-installation. Patients received a single phone call when the device was mailed and were able to contact the manufacturer as needed for support. A total of 47 devices were assessed from each group. Each group was similar in age (70 vs 65 years), and clinical indication for monitoring. Noise signal magnitude (22.34 vs 26.28%), symptom based manual activation (10 vs 8 events) and APB/recorded hour burden measurements (37.05 vs 23.36%) were similar in both groups (all comparisons were statistically non-significant). Both groups had a similar mean of hours recorded (240.37 vs. 245.05 h). Zero patient kits were lost, and all reports were delivered. Overall, it was found that a mail-delivered home-based recording platform can be reliably used to acquire clinical data with similar data quality and patient compliance as a conventional in-clinic model for long term ambulatory ECG monitoring.

Membrane activity detection in cultured cells using phase-sensitive plasmonics.

Despite the existence of various neural recording and mapping techniques, there is an open territory for the emergence of novel techniques. The current neural imaging and recording techniques suffer from invasiveness, a time-consuming labeling process, poor spatial/ temporal resolution, and noisy signals. Among others, neuroplasmonics is a label-free and nontoxic recording technique with no issue of photo-bleaching or signal-averaging. We introduced an integrated plasmonic-ellipsometry platform for membrane activity detection with cost-effective and high-quality grating extracted from commercial DVDs. With ellipsometry technique, one can measure both amplitude (intensity) and phase difference of reflected light simultaneously with high signal to noise ratio close to surface plasmon resonances, which leads to the enhancement of sensitivity in plasmonic techniques. We cultured three different types of cells (primary hippocampal neurons, neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells, and human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells) on the grating surface. By introducing KCl solution as a chemical stimulus, we can differentiate the neural activity of distinct cell types and observe the signaling event in a label-free, optical recording platform. This method has potential applications in recording neural signal activity without labeling and stimulation artifacts.