Rate Saturation Research Articles

Stochastic two-strain epidemic model with saturated incidence rates driven by Lévy noise

In this paper, we introduce a stochastic two-strain epidemic model driven by Lévy noise describing the interaction between four compartments; susceptible, infected individuals by the first strain, infected ones by the second strain and the recovered individuals. The forces of infection, for both strains, are represented by saturated incidence rates. Our study begins with the investigation of unique global solution of the suggested mathematical model. Then, it moves to the determination of sufficient conditions of extinction and persistence in mean of the two-strain disease. In order to illustrate the theoretical findings, we give some numerical simulations.

Enhancing Self-Esteem, Well-Being, and Relaxation in the Elderly through Nature-Based Interventions.

As the populations of many countries are aging, institutions providing support for the elderly increasingly often use nature-based interventions (NBIs) as part of their therapeutic activities. This study aimed to show the impact of 8-week active and passive NBI programs on self-esteem, well-being, and relaxation in the elderly. The NBI programs were conducted in two groups of elderly citizens of Poland: independent senior students and seniors requiring 24 h care. The Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale and the World Health Organization Well-Being Index were used to assess self-esteem and well-being before and after the programs. To assess relaxation, pre-post session measurements of pulse rate (PR) and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) were used. Our study showed an improvement in the self-esteem, well-being, and relaxation of the participants of both active and passive NBI programs. In all study groups, self-esteem and well-being improved after the programs, regardless of the type of intervention, and after each NBI session, the elderly showed a decrease in PR and an increase in SpO2, which indicated a deeper state of relaxation. Our research showed a greater improvement in the tested parameters in the seniors participating in the passive programs in a garden. This confirms a key role of green spaces in residential areas for the elderly and in nursing homes.

Comparison of safety of general anesthesia and intravenous sedation during third-molar extraction surgery

This study compared the safety of general anesthesia (GA) and intravenous sedation (IVS) in patients who underwent extraction of one or more third molars. Data from 1260 patients (GA group, n = 1043; IVS group, n = 217) were retrospectively analyzed, including demographics, preoperative data, intraoperative hemodynamic parameters (blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation level), and medications administered intraoperatively and postoperatively. The incidence of intraoperative circulatory variations, surgery and anesthesia durations, postoperative complications, and medication use were assessed and compared. The GA group had longer anesthesia and surgery durations, a higher incidence of hypotension, and a higher frequency of postoperative analgesic use than the IVS group. Dexmedetomidine was the most frequently used sedative agent. The IVS group had a lower incidence of intraoperative hypotension but they had a higher need for vasopressors in the recovery room. Both anesthesia methods maintained satisfactory oxygen saturation levels and sufficient anesthesia throughout the procedure, but they showed different characteristics regarding the duration of surgery and anesthesia duration, hemodynamic stability, and postoperative analgesic needs. IVS may be preferable for patients at risk of cardiovascular complications such as hypotension or tachycardia during surgery.

Injury severity bias in missing prehospital vital signs: Prevalence and implications for trauma registries

BackgroundVital signs are important factors in assessing injury severity and guiding trauma resuscitation, especially among severely injured patients. Despite this, physiological data are frequently missing from trauma registries. This study aimed to evaluate the extent of missing prehospital data in a hospital-based trauma registry and to assess the associations between prehospital physiological data completeness and indicators of injury severity. MethodsA retrospective review was conducted on all adult trauma patients brought directly to a level 1 trauma center in Toronto, Ontario by paramedics from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2019. The proportion of missing data was evaluated for each variable and patterns of missingness were assessed. To investigate the associations between prehospital data completeness and injury severity factors, descriptive and unadjusted logistic regression analyses were performed. ResultsA total of 3,528 patients were included. We considered prehospital data missing if any of heart rate, systolic blood pressure, respiratory rate or oxygen saturation were incomplete. Each individual variable was missing from the registry in approximately 20 % of patients, with oxygen saturation missing most frequently (n = 831; 23.6 %). Over 25 % (n = 909) of patients were missing at least one prehospital vital sign, of which 69.1 % (n = 628) were missing all four of these variables. Patients with incomplete data were more severely injured, had higher mortality, and more frequently received lifesaving interventions such as blood transfusion and intubation. Patients were most likely to have missing prehospital physiological data if they died in the trauma bay (unadjusted OR: 9.79; 95 % CI: 6.35–15.10), did not survive to discharge (unadjusted OR: 3.55; 95 % CI: 2.76–4.55), or had a prehospital GCS less than 9 (OR: 3.24; 95 % CI: 2.59–4.06). ConclusionIn this single center trauma registry, key prehospital variables were frequently missing, particularly among more severely injured patients. Patients with missing data had higher mortality, more severe injury characteristics and received more life-saving interventions in the trauma bay, suggesting an injury severity bias in prehospital vital sign missingness. To ensure the validity of research based on trauma registry data, patterns of missingness must be carefully considered to ensure missing data is appropriately addressed.

Apnoea suppresses brain activity in infants

Abstract Apnoea—the cessation of breathing—is commonly observed in premature infants. These events can reduce cerebral oxygenation and are associated with poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, relatively little is known about how apnoea and shorter pauses in breathing impact brain function in infants, which will provide greater mechanistic understanding of how apnoea affects brain development. We analysed simultaneous recordings of respiration, electroencephalography (EEG), heart rate, and peripheral oxygen saturation in 124 recordings from 118 infants (post-menstrual age: 38.6 ± 2.7 weeks [mean ± standard deviation]) during apnoeas (pauses in breathing greater than 15 seconds) and shorter breathing pauses between 5 and 15 seconds. EEG amplitude significantly decreased during both apnoeas and short breathing pauses compared with normal breathing periods. Change in EEG amplitude was significantly associated with change in heart rate during apnoea and short breathing pauses and, during apnoeas only, with oxygen saturation change. No associations were found between EEG amplitude changes and apnoea/pause duration, post-menstrual age, or sleep state. As apnoeas often occur in premature infants, frequent disruption to brain activity may impact neural development and result in long-term neurodevelopmental consequences.

Revealing the controlling mechanisms of atomic layer etching for high-k dielectrics in conventional inductively coupled plasma etching tool

The possibilities of optimization of the two-step atomic layer etching process for HfO2 in conventional plasma etching tools were studied. The surface modification step was realized in Ar/CF4/H2 plasma, and the reaction between the modified layer and the surface was activated by Ar ion bombardment from the plasma in the second step. Investigation of the effects of activation step duration, DC bias during activation, and Ar plasma density was carried out. The mechanism of the etching process has been shown to involve fluorination of oxide during the modification step and subsequent removal of fluorine-containing particles at the activation step. An increase in parasitic sputtering rate and lower process saturation with the growth of DC bias during activation was demonstrated. The advantage of the ALE process in lower surface roughness over the conventional etching process was shown. Similar etching characteristics of HfO2 and ZrO2 suggest a similarity in the etching process for the mixed hafnium-zirconium oxide material.

Three-Dimensional Modeling of Polygonal Ridges in Salt Playas.

In this work, we investigate the formation of the curious polygonal salt ridges that tessellate salt playas worldwide using suitable three-dimensional modeling and simulation of the dynamical processes that are responsible for their formation. We employ the principles of fracture mechanics under cyclic wetting and drying, fluid and mass transport in fracture channels, and processes of crystallization and self-organization to finally replicate the almost Voronoidal pattern of salt ridge mosaics observed in playas. The model is generic and applicable to playas having different salt compositions, as the effect of the salt diffusion coefficient and critical salinity for crystallization are factored in. The final pattern of polygonal salt ridges obtained by simulation visually resembles the geometry of the salt ridges reported in the literature. A single equation describing the time of first crystallization of salt in terms of evaporation suction pressure P, diffusion coefficient D of salt, and relative salinity Δc with respect to critical salinity at saturation, has been proposed. The saturation of crystal growth rate is shown to be a dynamic equilibrium between advection and diffusion processes. We show that the stable polygonal geometry of the salt playas is an effort toward the total minimization of system energy.

Artificial neural networks (ANN)-genetic algorithm (GA) optimization on thermosonicated achocha juice: kinetic and thermodynamic perspectives of retained phytocompounds

The extraction of phytocompounds from Achocha (Cyclanthera pedata) vegetable juice using traditional methods often results in suboptimal yields and efficiency. This study aimed to enhance the extraction process through the application of thermosonication (TS). To achieve this, an artificial neural network (ANN) and a genetic algorithm (GA) were utilized to simulate and optimize the process parameters. The study investigated the influence of ultrasonic amplitude (30%–50%), temperature (30 °C–50 °C), and sonication duration (15–60 min) on total polyphenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant activity (AOA), and ascorbic acid content (AA). Remarkably, the ANN-GA optimization resulted in optimal TS conditions: an ultrasonic amplitude of 40%, a temperature of 40 °C, and a sonication duration of 30 min. Subsequent analysis of extraction kinetics and thermodynamics across various temperatures (30 °C–50 °C) and extraction times (0–30 min) demonstrated R 2 (0.98821) and χ2 (1.74773) for TPC with activation energy (Ea) 26.0456, R 2 (0.99906) and χ2 (0.07215) for TFC with Ea 26.2336, R 2 (0.99867) and χ2 (0.03003) for AOA with Ea 26.0987, R 2 (0.99731) and χ2 (0.13719) for AA with Ea 26.0984, validating the pseudo second-order kinetic model. These findings indicate that increased temperature enhances the saturation concentration and rate constant of phytochemical extraction.

Motor and Respiratory Tele-Rehabilitation in Patients with Long COVID-19 after Hospital Discharge: An Interventional Study.

The persistence of symptoms following COVID-19 infection represents a significant challenge in healthcare management. During the outbreak, tele-rehabilitation emerged as a new tool to support healthcare structures in providing rehabilitation services. This study assessed the effectiveness and the feasibility of a 3-week home-based motor and respiratory rehabilitation program for individuals with long COVID-19 after traditional rehabilitation. Twenty-three patients completed the program and underwent functional tests at different time points (i.e., baseline, at discharge from in-hospital rehabilitation and after tele-rehabilitation). Motor function was evaluated using the instrumented Six-Minutes Walking Test (i6MWT), with monitored heart rate and oxygen saturation. Additionally, respiratory function was measured via forced vital capacity (FVC) and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) tests. Significant improvements (p < 0.05) in motor and respiratory function were observed throughout the intervention, including an 18.3% increase in walked distance from the baseline. The findings suggest that the proposed home-based tele-rehabilitation shows potential in enhancing motor and respiratory function in patients with long COVID. Despite limitations such as the small sample size, lack of control group and the preliminary nature of the outcomes observed, the overall findings seem to support the feasibility of the proposed tele-rehabilitation program in managing long COVID symptoms and promoting functional recovery. Nevertheless, further research is needed to validate these findings and explore tele-rehabilitation's potential in broader and different patient populations.

Assessment of the Efficacy of Nalbuphine as an Adjuvant to Intrathecal Bupivacaine in Endoscopic Urological Surgeries for the Prolongation of Postoperative Analgesia.

Background In anaesthesiology, intrathecal drugs play pivotal roles in spinal anaesthesia. Despite their ability to induce a high sensory block, bupivacaine alone may not be adequate for postoperative analgesia. It often requires a substantial dose of postoperative rescue analgesia to manage pain effectively. Thus, we studied the efficacy of nalbuphine 1.5 mg injected intrathecally as an adjuvant in endoscopic urological surgery. Materials and methods Sixty patients undergoing endoscopic urological surgery were equally divided into two study groups: group B (injection 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine 15 mg (3 ml) plus sterile NS 0.15 ml) and group N (injection 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine 15 mg (3 ml)+nalbuphine 1.5 mg (0.15 ml)). The first appearance of the sensory and motor blockages and duration required to attain complete sensory and motor threshold was noted. All vitals were recorded. After surgery, it was recorded when the patient first needed rescue analgesia (injection paracetamol 1 gm IV). Any adverse effects were recorded and addressed. The statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, V. 22.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), with p<0.05 indicating significance in both groups' operations. Results Intrathecal nalbuphine as an adjuvant caused an earlier onset of sensory and motor inhibition, delayed two-segment regression, and prolonged postoperative anaesthesia. The control group experienced sensory block at 3.33±0.61 minutes, while the nalbuphine group had a mean onset of 2.66±0.92 minutes (p=0.001). The patient who received nalbuphine had a mean regression time of 119.60±14.549 minutes, whereas the bupivacaine group had a mean regression time of 88.43±17.196 minutes. Group N had a considerably longer duration of postoperative analgesia, lasting 264.97 minutes, compared to group B's 198.50 minutes (p<0.001). Intrathecal nalbuphine did not influence vital indicators such as heart rate, respiration rate, and oxygen saturation. Conclusion To conclude, endoscopic urological surgery patients who received a subarachnoid block with 1.5 mg (0.15 ml) of nalbuphine hydrochloride with 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine 15 mg (3 ml) had longer postoperative pain relief than those who received 3 ml of intrathecal bupivacaine (15 mg). Urinary retention and pruritus were absent. Intrathecal nalbuphine with hyperbaric 0.5% bupivacaine is deemed safe with minimal side effects in endoscopic urology surgery.

Role of prey refuge and fear level in fractional prey–predator model with anti-predator

Ecological modeling is an effective tool for studying the interactions between predator and prey species by considering various functional responses and ecological effects. Employing computational or mathematical models allows us to determine the impact of specific human interventions or animal behaviors on the evolution of these species. The fear experienced by prey due to the presence of predators plays a crucial role in shaping the dynamics of their interactions. The manuscript focuses on developing and examining a novel prey–predator model that considers predation fear, prey refuge, and anti-predator effects. Caputo fractional derivative is utilized in the construction and analysis of the model, which integrates ecological principles like memory effects to improve our comprehension of species relationship. The study investigates aspects such as stability, well-posedness, and solution uniqueness for the proposed model. We carried out extensive numerical simulation to support theoretical results. Graphical results are provided for the model encompassing a broad spectrum of fractional order values. The effect of the fear level, growth rate of prey, saturation rate and prey refuse on the behavior of the solution are discussed.

Once or consecutive administration of inhaled salbutamol in children with acute asthma exacerbation: Is an additional dose beneficial?

Although international guidelines generally recommend the back to back use of short-acting β-agonizts (SABA) within a short time in the management of acute wheezing in children with asthma, there is still uncertainty in the evidence of short term outcome. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the efficacy of back to back and single use of inhaled SABA by lung function testing. This was a prospective, double-blinded, placebo controlled study conducted in children ≥6 years of age with a history of asthma. Children who presented with an acute asthma exacerbation (AAE) with a forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) between 40% to 60% were enrolled in the study if they had a first dose to SABA response of FEV1 ≥ 12%. All children were then randomly assigned either to receive two additional doses of inhaled SABA (300 µg per dose) or placebo. Spirometric analysis included forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEF, and FEF25-75 at baseline, 15, 30, and 45 min for each group. Oxygen saturation and heart rate were monitored during the study period. A total of 93 patients (inhaled SABA group; n = 48 vs. placebo group; n = 45) out of 110 enrolled patients completed the study. Baseline demographic characteristics of patients include age, gender, age of diagnosis, parental asthma, history of allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis, current asthma treatment, IgE and skin prick test were similar among groups. (p > .05) When lung function parameters were compared at each time interval during the study period, there were no statistical significance found in FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEF and forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% (FEF25-75) among groups. (p > .05) There were also no differences between groups for changes in heart rate and oxygen saturation. (p > .05) CONCLUSION: A single dose of inhaled SABA provides similar short term bronchodilator effect as back to back administration of inhaled SABA in children with AAE who showed an initial response to SABA of FEV1 ≥ 12%.

Prevalence of C282Y, H63D and S65C gene mutations in patients with hyperferritinemia undergoing therapeutic phlebotomy suspected of having hereditary hemochromatosis

Background: Hemochromatosis is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by excessive iron overload in parenchymal organs. In Brazil, the prevalence of hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) may vary compared to other countries due to different ethnical backgrounds according to the geographic region studied. The prevalence of C282Y mutation of the HFE gene ranges from three to eight times lower in Brazilians than in Caucasians of Northern European origin. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out in 222 patients submitted to therapeutic phlebotomy between March 2011 and July 2014 in a tertiary hospital blood center. The prevalence of HH was determined in 89 (47.3%) out of 188 (84.6%) patients presenting hyperferritinemia, and divided in two genotype groups: C282Y mutation and other mutations. The HH patients’ geographical and clinical characteristics, serum ferritin rate (SF) and transferrin saturation (TS) were analyzed. Results: The HH group consisted of 71 males (79.7%) and 18 (20.3%) females, with a median age of 51.5 ± 10.6 years. There were 36 (40.0%) symptomatic patients and 65 (73.0%) tested positive for the HFE mutation. The initial baseline TS values were significantly higher in primary HH patients (48.6%, IC 95% 43.2% - 55.7%) compared to those with secondary HH (35.0%, IC 95% 27.5% 41.8%, p=0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence of C282Y mutation was higher in this population from the South region compared to previous reports in the Brazilian population, yet inferior to that of Northern Europeans.

Does Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise Change the Hemodynamic Responses of the Inferior Vena Cava in Pregnant Women? A Prospective-Controlled Study.

This study was aimed at exploring the immediate impacts of pelvic floor muscle exercises (PFMEs) on various maternal physiological parameters in pregnant women. The study included a total of 52 women, 26 pregnant (Pregnant group: 28.04±6.01 years; 26.83±3.81 kg/m2) and 26 nonpregnant (Control group: 29.42±5.73 years; 25.41±3.03 kg/m2) individuals. All women received PFME as follows: PFME was performed for 5 min (6-s holding contraction, 10 s of relaxation, 3 rapid PFM contractions). Evaluations were conducted before, immediately after, and 5 min post-exercise, with measurements including inferior vena cava (IVC) diameters and pulsatility index, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and heart rates. Two-way analysis of variance was performed for group and time comparisons in repeated measurements. In both groups, the IVC collapsibility index values were lower 5 min after exercise, although this decrease, although clinically significant, did not reach statistical significance (p= 0.057). Post-exercise systolic blood pressure significantly decreased in both groups, whereas diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly in the pregnant group (p= 0.001, p= 0.023). The study found no statistically significant changes in the collapsibility index of the IVC after PFME but observed a clinically suggestive decrease. The clinical decrease in the collapsibility index can be interpreted as PFME in the supine position increasing venous return. Additionally, PFME was found not to alter maternal and fetal heart rates but contributed to the decrease in maternal systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Our study supports the view that the acute effects of PFME neither induce fetal stress nor pose maternal risks.

Response Time Dynamics of a Membrane-Based Microfluidic Gas Sensor

Practical gas–liquid interfacing is paramount in microfluidic technology, particularly in developing microfluidic gas sensors. We have created an easily replicable membrane-based closed microfluidic platform (MB-MP) to achieve in situ gas–liquid contact for low-resource settings. We have fabricated the MB-MP using readily available materials like double-sided tape or parafilm without conventional soft lithographic techniques. The response characteristics of the MB-MP are studied using CO2 as the model gas and bromothymol blue dye as the sensing material. The dye’s color change, indicative of pH shifts due to CO2 absorption, is captured with a digital microscope and analyzed via the ImageJ software package v1.54g. The response shows saturation and regeneration parts when cycled between CO2 and N2, respectively. Experiments are conducted to investigate the response characteristics and saturation rate under different conditions, including changes in volumetric flow rate, gas stream velocity, and dye solution volume. We observe experimentally that an increase in volumetric flow rate decreases the delay and increases the saturation rate of the response, surpassing the impact of the gas stream’s increased velocity. Furthermore, increasing the dye volume results in an exponential decrease in the saturation rate and an increase in the delay. These insights are essential for optimizing the platform’s response for point-of-use applications.

Serum Angiotensin II Level in Pediatric Patients with COVID-19 and its Correlation with the Disease Severity

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a newly discovered RNA betacoronavirus infection. It has been caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Angiotensin II (Ang-II) is a mitochondrial toxin that under normal circumstances is rapidly removed by angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2). SARS-CoV-2 uses the receptor ACE-2 for host cell entry and viral replication. ACE-2 proteins are occupied and downregulated by SARS-CoV-2. ACE-2 downregulation has been directly linked to toxic over accumulation of Ang-II. Accumulating Ang-II triggers many severe and fatal conditions such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Aim of the Work To assess the serum level of Ang-II and correlate it with the severity of COVID-19 infection in pediatric patients. Patients and Methods This case control study was conducted on 45 positive COVID-19 RT-PCR children who were compared to age and sex matched 45 healthy controls. Clinical examination, laboratory assays and imaging studies were done for the patients group to assess the severity of COVID–19 infection. Serum Ang-II was measured by ELISA for both groups and correlated with clinical (heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation), laboratory (total leucocytic count, lymphocytes, neutrophils, serum ferritin, ESR and CRP) and radiological (chest x-ray and CORAD score of CT chest ) parameters of the patients. Results The median “IQR” of serum Ang-II was significantly higher in the COVID-19 patients than in the controls (100 (88-137) ng/L) versus 20 (15-25) ng/L) (p-value= 0.001). There were statistically significant positive correlations between serum Ang-II levels and different grades of clinical severity classification (rs = 0.92, p-value=0.001) and CORAD score of CT chest. On the other hand, no statistically significant correlations were found between serum levels of Ang-II and total leucocytic count, lymphocytes, neutrophils, ESR and CRP. Conclusion Serum Ang-II could be used as a biomarker in predicting the severity of COVID-19 infection in pediatrics.

Development of a risk prediction nomogram for delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae in patients with acute carbon monoxide poisoning

Objectives Delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae (DNS) are critical complications following acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning that can substantially affect the patient’s life. Identifying high-risk patients for developing DNS may improve the quality of follow-up care. To date, the predictive DNS determinants are still controversial. Consequently, this study aimed to construct a practical nomogram for predicting DNS in acute CO-poisoned patients. Methods This retrospective study was conducted on patients with acute CO poisoning admitted to the Tanta University Poison Control Center (TUPCC) from December 2018 to December 2022. Demographic, toxicological, and initial clinical characteristics data, as well as laboratory investigation results, were recorded for the included patients. After acute recovery, patients were followed up for six months and categorized into patients with and without DNS. Results Out of 174 enrolled patients, 38 (21.8%) developed DNS. The initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level, CO exposure duration, oxygen saturation, PaCO2, and pulse rate were significantly associated with DNS development by univariate analysis. However, the constructed nomogram based on the multivariable regression analysis included three parameters: duration of CO exposure, COHb level, and GCS with adjusted odd ratios of 1.453 (95% CI: 1.116–1.892), 1.262 (95% CI: 1.126–1.415), and 0.619 (95% CI: 0.486–0.787), respectively. The internal validation of the nomogram exhibited excellent discrimination (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.962), good calibration, and satisfactory decision curve analysis for predicting the DNS probability. Conclusions The proposed nomogram could be considered a simple, precise, and applicable tool to predict DNS development in acute CO-poisoned patients.

The effect of position on feeding performance in infants with cleft lip and palate: Quasiexperimental study.

This single-group, quasiexperimental study was conducted to determine the effect of feeding position on the physiological parameters and feeding performance of term-born infants with cleft lip and palate (CLP) in the preoperative period. The study sample consisted of 45 infants aged 0-6 months with CLP followed up preoperatively in our outpatient clinic between January 2021 and 2022. Infants who were being fed with a specialty bottle for babies with CLP and whose families consented to participate in the study were included. After 2 h of fasting, the infants were fed in the elevated supine (ESU) position for the first meal, then in the elevated side-lying (ESL) position for the second meal after another 2 h of fasting. The infants' heart rate and oxygen saturation values before, during, and after each feed and indicators of feeding performance were compared between the positions. There was no significant difference between the positions in terms of heart rate and oxygen saturation before, during, or after feeding (p > .05). There was no statistically significant difference in measures of feeding performance according to the infants' feeding position (p > .05). According to the findings obtained in this study, infants with CLP showed no statistically significant differences in heart rate, oxygen saturation, or feeding performance when fed in the ESLand ESU positions. However, despite the lack of statistical significance, both physiological values and feeding performance tended to be better when the infants were fed in the ESL position, nurses can practice ESL position according to the infant's opposite direction of the side of the cleft lip or palate.

PPG-based Vital Signs Measurement Using SmartPhone Camera: Review

Due to their growing popularity and rapid performance improvements, smartphones have the potential to be an accurate, low-cost physiological monitoring tool that is useful outside of the clinical setting. Since the cardiac pulse is responsible for the slight color changes in skin, a pulsatile signal that is also known as a photoplethysmographic (PPG) signal can be evaluated by utilizing a digital camera to record a video of your Region Of Interest (ROI). This review Study focuses on several research works that have used PPG-based video smartphone camera methods to measure Heart Rate (HR), Blood Pressure (BP), Oxygen Saturation (SpO2), and Respiratory Rate (RR). Comparing the approaches and results of each study (HR measurement studies produced acceptable findings with error rates less than 5%, BP error rates of results less than 10%, and SpO2 =&lt;3.5%, by comparing the predicted models reading with the standard references reading) shows how smartphone-based physiological monitoring might be used in medical settings.

Analysis of Clinical and Radiologic Parameters in Children Diagnosed with COVID-19 Infection at Admission and Discharge

Background: Recognizing risk factors for poor prognosis among COVID-19 patients is crucial, especially given the absence of standardized treatments and medications. Objectives: In the present study, our aim was to survey changes in clinical parameters in children diagnosed with COVID-19 infection from admission to discharge. Methods: The present retrospective cross-sectional study focused on children with COVID-19 infection. All demographic data and clinical information of patients were extracted upon admission and at discharge from the hospital. Data analysis utilized the Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher exact test. Multivariable regression modeling was employed to identify factors predicting the probability and duration of hospitalization in ICUs for children with COVID-19. Results: Elevated levels of ESR, CRP, creatinine, and ferritin were found in 51.7%, 67.4%, 69.3%, and 53.6% of patients upon admission. Moreover, 98.2% and 38.3% of patients had high levels of ALP and AST. Platelet (PLT) and neutrophil levels were higher at discharge compared to admission (P &lt; 0.001), while creatinine levels were lower at admission than at discharge (P &lt; 0.001). Patients admitted to ICUs exhibited significantly higher levels of pulse rate (P &lt; 0.001), respiratory rate (P &lt; 0.001), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (P = 0.01), red cell distribution width (RDW) (P = 0.002), prothrombin time (PT) (P = 0.006), and ESR (P = 0.04). Conclusions: Pulse rate, respiratory rate, MCV, RDW, PT, ESR, and oxygen saturation (SPO2) percentage can be used to predict the severity of COVID-19 disease. However, further studies are needed to determine the prognosis and severity of COVID-19 infection in children.