Practical Protocol Research Articles

Designing Acoustic Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface for Underwater Communications

The UnderWater Acoustic (UWA) communication is the foundation for oceanic information applications. However, existing UWA systems suffer from low data rate problem. Although the Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) scheme is proved to be able to increase channel capacity in many terrestrial scenarios, the high cost and complexity of acoustic MIMO significantly limit its usage. Recently, the acoustic reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (acoustic RIS) concept has been proposed to address the aforementioned problem. In this paper, with the real-world constraints taken into consideration, three key components of the acoustic RIS are designed to realize the underwater RIS concept, including the new acoustic RIS hardware, the ultra-wideband (UWB) beamforming, and practical operation protocol. Specifically, a completely new hardware design of acoustic RIS is first provided, since existing electromagnetic RIS designed for terrestrial environments do not work for underwater acoustic waves. Then, the UWB beamforming solution is developed, since underwater acoustic RIS need to control the acoustic signals, whose bandwidth is comparable to its carrier frequency. Finally, the practical operation protocol is developed to realize the acoustic RIS functionalities in complex underwater environment. The acoustic RIS design is validated through both COMSOL multiphysics simulations and end-to-end Bellhop-based simulations.

New Synthesis of 3-Aminohydantoins via Condensation of Hydrazines with Isocyanates Derived from α-Amino Esters

AbstractA new, simple, and efficient method for the synthesis of 3-aminohydantoins was reported in two steps, starting from the corresponding l -amino esters. Commercially available α-amino esters were converted into the corresponding isocyanate derivatives, which were then subjected to the condensation reaction with hydrazine hydrate and arylhydrazines, in the presence of DMAP and DIPEA. This method provides the corresponding 3-aminohydantoins in moderate and good yields under a simple and practical protocol.

A Standard Practice Protocol for Addressing Depression in a Hospice Setting

A Standard Practice Protocol for Addressing Depression in a Hospice Setting

Bell-State-Exchange-Parity-Based Protocol for Efficient Autocompensation of Quantum Key Distribution Encoded in Polarization or Spatial Modes

We analyze autocompensation possibilities in entanglement-based QKD protocols. In particular, we study the seminal BBM92 protocol and find that an autocompensating technique is possible, although with severe limitations. This prompts the introduction of a different, more practical protocol based on Bell state exchange parity (BSEP), which allows for intrinsic autocompensation of optical fiber perturbations in various two-dimensional fiber-optic encodings while retaining advantageous MDI-QKD characteristics. We present the BSEP protocol in detail, describing both the quantum light propagation and the optical hardware requirements. Finally, we analyze its security, computing its expected performance through the key rate.

Nurse perceptions of caring for pediatric patients with behavioral health needs on non-psychiatric units during the COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeThe study examined nurses' perceptions of barriers and needs when caring for pediatric patients with behavioral health needs in inpatient non-psychiatric units during the pandemic. Design and methodsA quantitative descriptive comparative design was used. Members of Society of Pediatric Nurses and National Pediatric Nurse Scientist Collaborative were recruited. The survey included questions about perceived barriers and needs in caring for children with behavioral health needs in their units. ResultsA total of 335 nurses across the United States participated. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and Kruskal-Wallis evaluated responses. Nurses in Southeast/Southwest regions were less fearful when caring for pediatric patients with behavioral health needs (p = .03), more often knew what to do (p = .01), and were supported by a behavioral health team with regular rounding (p = .035). Nurses in adult/pediatric hospitals were less likely to have adequate education to feel competent (p = .012). Nurses in the emergency department were less fearful (p = .02), more confident (p = .025), and more competent (p = .006). Nurses with up to two years of experience were likelier to feel assignments reflected the patient workload (p = .001) and more familiar with trauma-informed care protocols (p = .013). ConclusionsThis study illustrated significant variations in competence, readiness, and attitudes among nurses across different regions, hospital types, departments, and experience levels when caring for pediatric patients with behavioral health needs. Practice implicationsResults from this study could lead to the development of clinical practice guidelines, protocols, or policies to guide practice.

Mutual entity authentication of quantum key distribution network system using authentication qubits

Entity authentication is crucial for ensuring secure quantum communication as it helps confirm the identity of participants before transmitting any confidential information. We propose a practical entity authentication protocol for quantum key distribution (QKD) network systems that utilizes authentication qubits. In this protocol, authentication qubits that are encoded with pre-shared information are generated and exchanged to verify the legitimacy of each entity. By using the authentication qubit, participants can identify each other with enhanced security level through the quantum channel. The proposed protocol can be easily integrated with existing QKD systems without the need for additional hardware. In this study, we demonstrated the efficacy of the proposed scheme using a 1xN QKD network system and verified its stable operation over a deployed fiber network. Additionally, a security analysis of the proposed entity authentication protocol and architecture is provided.

Preoperative COVID-19 infection status negatively impacts postoperative outcomes of geriatric hip fracture surgery

ObjectivesCompare outcomes for patients with recently diagnosed COVID-19 infection to those without COVID-19 infection undergoing operative treatment of hip fractures using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database. DesignRetrospective propensity score matched cohort. MethodsPatients who received surgery for an acute hip fracture (intramedullary nail (IMN), open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) or hemiarthroplasty) in 2021 were identified from the NSQIP database. Propensity score matching was implemented using patient demographics and preoperative medical conditions to compare outcomes for COVID-19-positive and COVID-19-negative cohorts. ResultsAfter matching, COVID-19-positive patients exhibited a higher risk of 30-day mortality (Odds ratio (OR) 1.48, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.01 – 2.04), pneumonia (OR 2.90, 95 % CI: 1.91 – 4.33), unplanned intubation (OR 2.53, 95 % CI: 1.39 – 4.39), and septic shock (OR 2.51, 95 % CI: 1.10 – 4.67). COVID-19-positive patients were also more likely to have a longer length of hospital stay (Hazard Ratio 1.3, 95 % CI: 1.20 – 1.41) and were more likely to be discharged to an acute care hospital (OR 1.90, 95 % CI: 1.03 – 3.06). ConclusionsActive COVID-19 infection is an independent risk factor for complications as well as increased resource utilization in patients undergoing surgical treatment of acute hip fracture. Using the results of this multicenter study, quantification of these risks can help inform practice and treatment protocols for this population. Level of EvidenceIII.

Addressing fraudulent responses in online surveys: Insights from a web‐based participatory mapping study

Abstract Web‐based studies of human dimensions are increasing across environmental and socio‐ecological disciplines. However, the prevalence of fraud threatens research quality. Increased fraud rates should be expected as surveys move progressively more online, motivated by expanding reach, cost savings and/or in response to COVID‐19. Web‐based research must better account for fraud to maintain confidence in findings. Practical diagnostic tools and data quality protocols are required to detect fraud and ensure results quality. Drawing on our experience using an online participatory mapping case study, we discuss methods to detect potentially fraudulent responses—and identify some limitations. We begin by reviewing the current state of knowledge on fraudulent responses or ‘fraudsters’ and its relative absence in environmental and socio‐ecological disciplines. We then describe our research approach, the indicators and variables we used to detect and assess fraud and our decision‐making process to eliminate suspicious responses without jeopardizing research integrity. We found that despite several preventative measures, many fraudulent respondents could provide survey responses and effectively mimicked legitimate respondents at first glance. By assuming each response to be ‘potentially fraudulent’, we determined that the complete screening of each respondent, while time‐consuming, can limit the prevalence of fraud. We also determined that the most common data consistency checks (e.g. duration, trap questions and straight‐liner checks) are unlikely to guarantee valid respondents. If not acknowledged and addressed, fraud has the potential to undermine data integrity, discredit research findings and limit the utility of results for policy. This study contributes to environmental and socio‐ecological research by reviewing existing fraudster literature and using our experience with fraud to provide recommendations for researchers to address this problem. We encourage researchers implementing online qualitative research methods to thoroughly assess and report fraud, when possible, to ensure widespread knowledge of this growing threat. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Evaluation of Ice Recrystallization Inhibition of Ice-Binding Proteins by Monitoring Specific Ice Crystals.

Ice recrystallization is a phenomenon in which large ice crystals are formed at the expense of smaller ones. The resultant large ice crystals degrade the quality of frozen foods and cryopreserved biomaterials. To minimize freeze damage by controlling the ice recrystallization process, various compounds have been developed, including biological antifreezes, synthetic peptides, glycopeptides, polymers, and small molecules. To compare their efficiency, evaluation methods of ice recrystallization inhibition are important. This chapter describes a practical protocol to quantify the inhibition efficiency by observing specific ice crystals exhibiting uniform growth.

Shedding light on the problem: Proficiency and maintenance practices of light-curing units among dental assistants.

Proper light curing is crucial for the success of restorative dentistry and to bond brackets to teeth, yet the responsibility is often delegated to dental assistants (DAs). This study assessed the proficiency and maintenance protocols of DAs when using light-curing units (LCUs) in Saudi Arabia. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to practicing DAs. The questionnaire contained sections on knowledge, adherence to best practices, and how to maintain the LCU. Demographic data were collected as well. Descriptive statistics and linear regressions at a significance level of (p = 0.05) were conducted to identify any relationships that influenced the DAs' LCU knowledge, practice, and maintenance protocols. Among the surveyed DAs, 66% were responsible for using the LCU during treatment, 16% used their fingers for support when light curing, 50% held the LCU tip 1-2 mm from the restoration during curing, and 51% did not have a specific maintenance protocol at their workplace. 70% did not know the output from the LCU, and their educational background correlated with knowledge (b = -14.42, p < 0.001). The type of institution type correlated with adherence to best practices (b = -13.65, p = 0.011), and level of knowledge and adherence to maintenance protocols showed a direct correlation (b = 0.002, p = 0.041). The findings revealed that a significant percentage of the DAs who replied had insufficient knowledge and did not follow the best practices and maintenance protocols for the LCUs they were using. Their educational background and workplace factors influenced this knowledge gap, while the absence of a maintenance protocol and suboptimal practices were associated with the type of institution. To maintain the best practice, clinicians and institutions should improve the education and training of DAs. Otherwise, inadequate light curing by the DAs may jeopardize the long-term success of many dental procedures.

Adapting a practical EPR dosimetry protocol to measure output factors in small fields with alanine.

Modern radiotherapy techniques often deliver small radiation fields. In this work, a practical Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) dosimetry protocol is adapted and applied to measure output factors (OF) in small fields of a 6 MV radiotherapy system. Correction factors and uncertainties are presented and OFs are compared to the values obtained by following TRS-483 using an ionization chamber (IC). Irradiations were performed at 10cm depth inside a water phantom positioned at 90cm source to surface distance with a 6 MV flattening filter free photon beam of a Halcyon radiotherapy system. OFs for different nominal field sizes (1×1, 2×2, 3×3, 4×4, normalized to 10×10 cm2 ) were determined with a PinPoint 3D (PTW 31022) IC following TRS-483 as well as with alanine pellets with a diameter of 4mm and a height of 2.4mm. EPR readout was performed with a benchtop X-band spectrometer. Correction factors due to volume averaging and due to positional uncertainties were derived from 2D film measurements. OFs obtained from both dosimeter types agreed within 0.7% after applying corrections for the volume averaging effect. For the used alanine pellets, volume averaging correction factors of 1.030(2) for the 1×1 cm2 field and <1.002 for the larger field sizes were determined. The correction factor for positional uncertainties of 1mm was in the order of 1.018 for the 1×1 cm2 field. Combined relative standard uncertainties uc for the OFs resulting from alanine measurements were estimated to be below 1.5% for all field sizes. For IC measurements, uc was estimated to be below 1.0%. A practical EPR dosimetry protocol is adaptable for precisely measuring OFs in small fields down to 1×1cm2 . It is recommended to consider the effect of positional uncertainties for field sizes <2×2cm2 .

Relationship between 1-, 3-, and 6-Month Gingival Bleeding Outcomes.

Results from systematic reviews and meta-analyses show generally consistent antigingivitis effects between 3- and 6-mo observation time points with twice-daily use of stannous fluoride (SnF2) dentifrice. However, the relationship between 1-, 3-, and 6-mo gingivitis responses has not been investigated. This pooled analysis was conducted to understand the relationship of 1-, 3-, and 6-mo gingival bleeding outcomes. Number of bleeding sites, derived from Löe-Silness Gingival Index (LSGI) or Gingival Bleeding Index, was identified as the primary end point of the analysis for the biological and clinical relevance. Randomized, double-blinded, controlled clinical studies meeting the following predefined selection criteria were identified: 1) published and unpublished gingivitis clinical trials conducted from 1995 to 2022 comparing efficacy of 0.454% SnF2 dentifrices to negative controls (sodium fluoride or sodium monofluorophosphate dentifrice) and 2) studies with a 3-mo assessment and at least a 1- or 6-mo assessment. The search resulted in ten 6-mo and fourteen 3-mo studies meeting selection criteria. A mixed-effects model was performed on the pooled data to assess gingival bleeding outcomes across time. The bleeding efficacy significantly increased between months 1 and 3 (P < 0.0001) and plateaued between months 3 and 6 (P = 0.007), supporting the fact that bleeding reduction relative to control established by 1 mo will increase and be maintained through 3 and 6 mo (R2 = 0.857). In addition, gingival bleeding and gingivitis efficacy, as measured by LSGI, were found to be highly correlated (R2 = 0.874). A clear relationship has been demonstrated between 1-, 3-, and 6-mo gingival bleeding outcomes in gingivitis clinical studies comparing SnF2 dentifrice to negative control dentifrice. These findings have important implications to the dental practice and scientific research as antigingivitis efficacy evaluations can be observed as early as 1 mo and are consistent with those seen at 3 or 6 mo. Outcomes from this investigation indicate that the clinical evaluation of antigingivitis efficacy at 1 mo is predictive of that at 3 and 6 mo, supporting studies of 1-mo duration as a viable method of knowledge acquisition. This more efficient, expedited research design has positive implications for patient care, clinical practice guidelines, protocols, and policies.

A Memorizing and Generalizing Framework for Lifelong Person Re-Identification.

In this paper, we introduce a challenging yet practical setting for person re-identification (ReID) task, named lifelong person re-identification (LReID), which aims to continuously train a ReID model across multiple domains and the trained model is required to generalize well on both seen and unseen domains. It is therefore critical to learn a ReID model that can learn a generalized representation without forgetting knowledge of seen domains. In this paper, we propose a new MEmorizing and GEneralizing framework (MEGE) for LReID, which can jointly prevent the model from forgetting and improve its generalization ability. Specifically, our MEGE is composed of two novel modules, i.e., Adaptive Knowledge Accumulation (AKA) and differentiable Ranking Consistency Distillation (RCD). Taking inspiration from the cognitive processes in the human brain, we endow AKA with two special capacities, knowledge representation and knowledge operation by graph convolution networks. AKA can effectively mitigate catastrophic forgetting on seen domains while improving the generalization ability to unseen domains. By considering the ranking factor that is specifically important in ReID, RCD is designed to distill the ranking knowledge in a differentiable manner, which can further prevent the catastrophic forgetting. To supporting the study of LReID, we build a new and large-scale benchmark with two practical evaluation protocols that consider the metrics of non-forgetting and generalization. Experiments demonstrate that 1) our MEGE framework can effectively improve the performance on seen and unseen domains under the domain-incremental learning constraint, and that 2) the proposed MEGE outperforms state-of-the-art competitors by large margins.

The Effects of Practice Schedules on the Acquisition and Retention of a Grapho-Motor Skill in Young-Adults

Studies suggest that the amount of practice and practice protocols can affect the long-term retention of motor skills. We tested how a practice schedule affects young adults’ learning and retention of a simple graphomotor skill. Young adults trained on the construction of a letter-form by connecting dots (Invented Letter Task, ILT) in a single-session 24-blocks practice were compared to a distributed practice group afforded 6-blocks ILT practice on four consecutive days. The single-session practice outperformed the distributed practice group in the speed performance at the end of training but also 24-h post-training. However, the distributed practice group was comparable to the single-session group in terms of speed by 4–5 wk post-training and showed significant gains between 24-h and 4–5 wk post-training while the massed practice showed significant deterioration. Both groups were comparable in terms of accuracy at the three assessment time points. The results suggest that, even in a simple motor task, comparing single sessions to multi-session (distributed) practice could be a straightforward method for determining the efficiency of a practice schedule in young adults.

Pediatric precision oncology: "better three hours too soon than a minute too late".

Precision oncology is defined as the selection of an effective treatment for a cancer patient based upon genomic profiling of the patient's tumor to identify targetable alterations. The application of precision oncology toward pediatric cancer patients has moved forward more slowly than with adults but is gaining momentum. Clinical and pharmaceutical advances developed over the past decade for adult cancer indications have begun to move into pediatric oncology, expanding treatment options for young high-risk and refractory patients. As a result, the FDA has approved 23 targeted drugs for pediatric cancer indications, moving targeted drugs into the standard of care. Our precision oncology program is in a medium sized children's hospital, lacking internal sequencing capabilities and bioinformatics. We have developed methods, medical and business partnerships to provide state-of-the-art tumor characterization and targeted treatment options for our patients. We present here a streamlined and practical protocol designed to enable any oncologist to implement precision oncology options for their patients.

Establish design and manufacturing protocols in your practice.

Establish design and manufacturing protocols in your practice.

A Redox-neutral Nickel-catalysed Sulfonylation of (Hetero)aryl Boronic Acids with 2-Chlorothiazoles.

A redox-neutral nickel-catalysed sulfonylation for arylsulfone synthesis were developed. (Hetero)aryl boronic acids reacted with potassium metabisulfite (K2S2O5) and readily available 2-chlorothiazoles in the presence of air-stable Ni(OTf)2 and 4,4-di-tert-butyl bipyridine (dtbbpy) as a commercially available ligand to produce the corresponding 2-sulfonylthiazoles in moderate to excellent yields. This practical protocol tolerates a wide range of substrates including boronic acids and 2-chloro(benzo)thiazoles without additional bases, allowing the direct synthesis of functional arylsulfones.

Binding affinity predictions with hybrid quantum-classical convolutional neural networks

Central in drug design is the identification of biomolecules that uniquely and robustly bind to a target protein, while minimizing their interactions with others. Accordingly, precise binding affinity prediction, enabling the accurate selection of suitable candidates from an extensive pool of potential compounds, can greatly reduce the expenses associated to practical experimental protocols. In this respect, recent advances revealed that deep learning methods show superior performance compared to other traditional computational methods, especially with the advent of large datasets. These methods, however, are complex and very time-intensive, thus representing an important clear bottleneck for their development and practical application. In this context, the emerging realm of quantum machine learning holds promise for enhancing numerous classical machine learning algorithms. In this work, we take one step forward and present a hybrid quantum-classical convolutional neural network, which is able to reduce by 20% the complexity of the classical counterpart while still maintaining optimal performance in the predictions. Additionally, this results in a significant cost and time savings of up to 40% in the training stage, which means a substantial speed-up of the drug design process.

Cellular senescence-related genes: predicting prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Recent studies have shown that the high incidence and low cure rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not improved significantly. Surgery and liver transplantation are the mainstays of prolonging the survival of HCC patients. However, the surgical resection rate of HCC patients is very low, and even after radical surgical resection, the recurrence rate at 5 years postoperatively remains high and the prognosis is very poor, so more treatment options are urgently needed. Increasing evidence suggests that cellular senescence is not only related to cancer development but may also be one of its primary driving factors. We aimed to establish a prognostic signature of senescence-associated genes to predict the prognosis and therapeutic response of HCC patients. The aim of this study was to develop a risk model associated with cellular senescence and to search for potential strategies to treat HCC. We divided HCC patients into two clusters and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between clusters. In this study, low-risk patients had a better prognosis, higher levels of immune cell infiltration, and better efficacy to fluorouracil, Paclitaxel and Cytarabine chemotherapy compared to high-risk patients. To further identify potential biomarkers for HCC, we further validated the expression levels of the four signature genes in HCC and neighbouring normal tissues by in vitro experiments. In conclusion, we identified and constructed a relevant prognostic signature, which performed well in predicting the survival and treatment response of HCC patients. This helps to differentiate between low-score and high-risk HCC, and the results may contribute to precise treatment protocols in clinical practice.

Chinese Neonatal Nurses' Lived Experiences of Providing End-of-Life Care in the NICU: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study.

Although end-of-life care (EOLC) has been well-studied, the experience of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses in China, where little EOLC training is provided, requires further investigation. To explore the lived experience of EOLC delivery among NICU nurses, to provide evidence to enhance nurses' EOLC skills and improve their overall quality. This qualitative study adopted a phenomenological approach. A total of 11 NICU nurses participated in semistructured in-depth interviews between June and July 2022 at the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). Colaizzi's 7-step method was used to analyze the data. Five main themes were identified: (a) multiple emotions are experienced during EOLC delivery; (b) EOLC delivery is stressful from various sources for nurses; (c) expressing empathy and compassion is important; (d) ethical and clinical decision-making are key components of EOLC delivery; and (e) there are challenges in improving neonatal EOLC understanding and delivery. The experience of EOLC among Chinese NICU nurses is multidimensional and intensive. Institutions or units must establish and implement related protocols and guidelines to address differences between clinical practice and ideal protocols for neonatal EOLC. Educational programs that consider nurses' personal and interpersonal factors, including local culture, must be developed. Neonatal nurses in Western countries encountering Chinese-born parents who have lost their infants can gain an understanding of parents' perceptions from this study. Future research should focus on developing and testing interventions to train and support NICU nurses working with end-of-life neonates.