Set Of Resources Research Articles

A lifesaving improvised peritoneal dialysis on a toddler with acute kidney injury following a swarm of bees’ sting at Iringa Regional Referral Hospital, Southern Highland—Tanzania: a case report

BackgroundPeritoneal dialysis as one of the nephrology services in children with acute kidney injury is a safe and cost-effective modality of treatment in low and lower-middle income countries. Despite evidence of its effectiveness in limited resource settings, the service is still provided only in tertiary level healthcare facilities in Tanzania.Case presentationIn this case report, we narrate the survival of a 22-month-old male patient of African descent with an acute kidney injury following a swarm of bees’ stings at home. A lifesaving, although low-quality and high-risk, peritoneal dialysis was performed for 5 days at Iringa Regional Referral Hospital, a secondary level health facility in rural Tanzania with lack of standard and recommended expertise, laboratory investigations, and equipment.ConclusionLower- and middle-income countries in collaboration with stake holders should ensure that this service is available, accessible, and safe in the lower-level health facilities, given that access to the tertiary-level facilities is inadequate and time limited, hence serving a larger population.

Abstract B083: Community-based knowledge-to-action translation to improve early detection of prostate cancer among Black individuals

Abstract Introduction: Black individuals have 70-80% higher incidence and 120% higher mortality from prostate cancer when compared to all other groups in the US. This is the largest racial disparity in cancer-related mortality in the US and has persisted over the last five decades despite improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. Our previous work demonstrated that intensified screening practices could reduce prostate cancer mortality among Black individuals. Challenges impede the translation of these findings into real-world interventions and practices. The objective of this study was to design a patient-centered and culturally tailored knowledge toolkit to improve the knowledge and awareness of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in Black individuals to facilitate informed shared-decision making between Black patients and primary care providers. Methods: Using a community-partnered participatory research approach, we convened a working group of Black prostate cancer survivors and community advocates, and clinicians, researchers, and health communications specialists. During monthly meetings, the working group followed Graham’s Knowledge-to-Action framework to synthesize information from: 1) peer-reviewed literature on the use of shared decision-making aids; 2) interviews conducted by our research team with Black individuals regarding barriers and facilitators to access PSA testing; and 3) community input on PSA testing and prostate cancer early detection. We then facilitated four iterative design sessions with the working group to develop recommendations for toolkit content, framing, and format. Results: With the working group, we designed a comprehensive set of resources to increase knowledge and awareness of PSA testing for early detection of prostate cancer among Black individuals. The design framework includes detailed recommendations on the content, framing, and format for resources contained in the toolkit. Recommendations encompass: 1) interactive web-based documents that cover comprehensive information about prostate cancer risk and screening; 2) printable shared decision-making documents that present evidence-based information about the use of PSA testing to guide conversations between Black individuals and their primary care providers; and 3) educational videos focused on prostate cancer fundamentals and dispelling common misconceptions about prostate cancer risk and screening, with content delivered by Black prostate cancer survivors and interviews with Black providers and prostate cancer researchers. Conclusion: This study addressed the need for a community-developed approach to increasing knowledge and awareness about prostate cancer screening and early detection in an accessible, culturally tailored, and accurate manner. We used a collaborative process that centered the experiences of Black prostate cancer survivors and advocates in the design of a toolkit that can facilitate decision-making discussions between Black individuals and their care providers for use of PSA testing for prostate cancer screening. Citation Format: Jenney R. Lee, Sung Min Kim, Yohali Burrola- Mendez, Dante' Morehead, Marty Chakoian, Michael Ware, Kojo Ward, Floyd Gossett, Vida Henderson, Patricia Egwuatu, Burcu Darst, John Masembe, Erika M. Wolff, Yaw A Nyame. Community-based knowledge-to-action translation to improve early detection of prostate cancer among Black individuals [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B083.

Effectiveness Of Tippy Tap As Appropriate Technology For Handwashing In Low Resource Settings In India

Effectiveness Of Tippy Tap As Appropriate Technology For Handwashing In Low Resource Settings In India

Social validity of acceptance-based workplace mental health training for use in a low resource setting. A qualitative study with Ugandan mental health providers

In low-resource settings, working age adults suffer a disproportionately higher mental health burden due to precarious work environments; yet access to evidence-based worksite mental health promotion programs remains severely limited due to the lack of professional service providers. Alternative mental wellness programs that are affordable, accessible and help build resilience to deal with the daily demands of work and life need to be introduced in workplaces of low-resource contexts. Such programs should however be acceptable and of social importance to the targeted contexts. Acceptance-based approaches meet these criteria but have mainly been implemented and evaluated in high-income countries. Gauging the appropriateness of such programs for low-resource workplace settings before wide-scale implementation is necessary. We engaged n = 14 mental health providers living and working in Kampala-Uganda in a one-day workshop focused on using acceptance and commitment training in the workplace. During in-depth interviews, these providers shared feedback on the social importance of the program’s goals and effects, and acceptability of the program’s procedures to Ugandan society. A deductive thematic approach was used to analyze data (codes organized according to a priori thematic categories that aligned with the Social Validity Framework). Findings showed that the program’s goals and effects were gauged as socially significant and the training process was acceptable. However, key adjustments were recommended, including introducing communal values into the program, reducing session load, integrating mental health awareness strategies, and adding contextually relevant metaphors. These adjustments are likely to enhance the appropriateness of this type of acceptance-based worksite mental health promotion program for use in Uganda.

Advanced-technique radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in a low resource setting: a review of treatment-related quality of life.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare but significant public health concern, especially in Africa, with a rising global incidence. This study aimed to investigate the pattern of presentation, treatment outcomes and impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of NPC patients at a tertiary institution in Lagos, Nigeria. A retrospective review of all nasopharyngeal cancer patients (n = 125) treated at a tertiary centre in Lagos, Nigeria, from May 2019 to 2022 was done. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) H&N 35 questionnaire was used to assess HRQOL at 1-year post treatment and the data were analysed using a statistical package for the social sciences v26.0. Among 125 patients, the mean age was 46.21 ± 17.82 years with 76% male. Comorbidities were reported in 34 patients (27.2%), smoking history in 18 patients (14.4%) and 50 patients (40%) reported alcohol consumption. Environmental risk factors were identified in six patients (4.8%). The most prevalent histology was squamous cell carcinoma (92.8%), and stage IV was the most common stage (42.4%). Chemoradiation was the primary treatment (63.2%), with intensity-modulated radiotherapy being the most utilised approach (51.2%). Among 125 patients, 51 completed the EORTC questionnaire. Weight loss, sticky saliva, dry mouth, difficulties in swallowing and problems with the sense of taste and smell were the most severe symptoms reported by patients. In the follow-up, 79.2% of patients were reached (50.4% alive, 28.8% deceased). Mortality was significantly associated with age >65 years, weight loss at presentation and consumption of grilled/smoked food. The study highlights key aspects of NPC in our region including the predominance in males, advanced disease stage at presentation and persistent symptoms post-treatment. Our findings point to the need for targeted initiatives to improve early detection and quality of life for nasopharyngeal patients in the country.

Voltage regulation and energy loss minimization for distribution networks with high photovoltaic penetration and EV charging stations using dual-stage model predictive control

The widespread integration of photovoltaic (PV) units and controllable loads like electric vehicles (EVs) might cause uncertain voltage fluctuations quite frequently. The reactive power from distributed generation (DG) units and EV charging stations (EVCSs) can effectively be used along with conventional devices like on-load tap changer (OLTC) to successfully control network voltages in real-time, with multi-time scale coordination. However, the control of a large number of available resources, with reliable communication among them becomes a complex task. Moreover, the substantial real-time data set amassed through the deployment of measurement devices across the network increases both cost and computational intricacies. This paper presents a novel approach, employing a time decomposition-based dual-stage model predictive control (MPC) with a reduced model control framework for voltage control and energy loss minimization in active distribution networks (ADNs), by significantly reducing the number of measuring devices. A minimum global set of available control resources is identified for real-time control, aiming to mitigate control complexity and minimize the demand for heavy communication. The proposed control strategy is validated on the 33-bus distribution network and modified IEEE 123-bus distributed network, under high PV penetration and EV charging stations. It is seen that the proposed reduced model framework with very limited measuring devices and control equipment can effectively regulate the voltages with a standard deviation of 0.0059 p.u. and 0.0035 p.u. as compared to the full order system model, for 33-bus network and IEEE 123-bus network, respectively. Furthermore, there is a net 23.24% reduction in energy losses when power loss minimization is considered along with the minimization of voltage deviations in the 33-bus network.

Determinants of Infertile of Infertile Women Requesting Assisted Reproduction Techniques in a Low Resource Setting in Western Nigeria

Background: Infertility is an important gynaecological condition with psycho-social, cultural, economic, religious, demographic, and clinical consequences. Although the prevalence of couples having problems with conception has remained relatively stable worldwide, there has been an increase in the proportion of couples seeking fertility services. This substantial increase might reflect the improvement in the advancements in fertility care, improved success rates, increased availability of specialists and or involvement of insurance firms in infertility treatment. Paradoxically, countries in Africa with high infertility burden still lags in fertility care. This study was therefore aims to investigate the types and causes of infertility in patients attending fertility care in an assisted conception Centre in a public tertiary hospital in southwest Nigeria. Methods: This was a retrospective study of patient records who attended Assisted fertility centre (AFC) of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), from January 1st, 2015, to December 31st, 2023. Categorical variables were analysed using percentages while continuous variables were analysed using mean and standard deviation and the association between categorical variables was analysed using chi-square test. The statistical significance level was set at p-value < 0.05. Results: The mean age and mean duration of infertility of the participants in the study was 40.89±6.8, and 8.14±3.5 respectively. About 72.9% had more than secondary education while almost two thirds of the participants had secondary infertility, 36.1% had previous pelvic surgeries, 11.4% had chronic pelvic pain and menstrual abnormality. Secondary infertility was more prevalent in women who has chronic pelvic pain, or those who has had previous pelvic surgery, previous infertility or previous abortion. Conclusion: In conclusion our analysis suggests that Secondary infertility is the commonest cause of inability to conceive in our facility. It also revealed that most of our women present late for fertility care at an advanced maternal age.

Nonlinear Analysis of EDF Scheduling Framework for Resource Distribution in Cloud Computing

In modern times, the field of information technology is significantly shifting towards cloud computing. This innovative technology involves the permanent storage of resources on servers, which clients access via the internet. Typically, a cloud comprises a collection of resources known as virtual machines, capable of managing both computational tasks and storage needs. As the demand for cloud services continues to rise, the scheduling of these resources presents a considerable challenge. Scheduling refers to the workflow management necessary to complete tasks within the system. An efficient scheduler adapts its scheduling policy dynamically in response to changing conditions and task requirements. Cloud computing represents a recently developed technology where resources, whether physical or virtual machines, are permanently stored on servers and accessed by users through the internet. The cloud offers various service models, including Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). In this context, IaaS refers to a set of resources, including virtual machines, that provide computational and storage services. Given the increasing adoption of cloud technology, resource scheduling has become a critical task. Hence, optimizing the scheduling of requests to ensure the best utilization of cloud resources is essential. This paper introduces a Nonlinear Analysis of EDF Scheduling Framework for resource allocation that considers deadlines and processing times when assigning resources to specific jobs. The performance metrics, including Average Turnaround Time, Average Waiting Time, and Average Deadline Violation, show a significant improvement when compared to traditional scheduling models such as First-Come, First-Served (FCFS), the Shortest Job First (SJF), and Simple Earliest Deadline First (EDF) models.

Fostering a healthier generation of children with sickle cell disease through advancements in care.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited disorder of hemoglobin that affects tens of millions of individuals worldwide. Without preventive and disease-modifying therapy, SCD results in many acute and chronic complications impacting both quality and length of life. We are currently in a new generation of SCD care in high resource settings due to recent advancements in care. Universal newborn screening (NBS) for SCD with associated parental education and preventive care significantly improved mortality rates. Beginning in the 1990s, hydroxyurea emerged as a promising pharmacologic treatment for SCD due to its ability to increase the amount of fetal hemoglobin. It is now the mainstay of treatment, with strong recommendations to begin as early as the first year of life with the goal of reducing most short- and long-term complications and allowing for a normalized quality of life. More recently, gene therapy has come to the forefront in SCD and brings the hope of a cure for many patients. In 2023, the FDA approved two cell-based gene therapies for patients with SCD. The future is bright for patients with SCD, and the current generation of affectedchildren will expectantly be able to grow up free of suffering and severe, frequent pain.

Community Health Workers as Mental Health Paraprofessionals: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Pilot Feasibility Study.

Community health workers (CHWs) are effective in delivering behavioral activation (BA), especially in low-resource settings. In an area with a lack of Spanish-speaking mental health counselors, such as southwest Montana, CHWs can provide needed care. The goal of this pilot study protocol is to test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a model of care that engages CHWs as providers of BA. We will train 2 CHWs in BA methodology. We will enroll 20 participants who screen positive for depression in a 12-week telephone intervention for BA. Preliminary efficacy will be tested in pre- and postscores of the Beck Depression Inventory and semistructured interviews. Feasibility and acceptability will be measured through participant retention and treatment adherence. The Therapeutic Alliance with Clinician Scale will be used to measure the strength of the therapeutic relationship. Descriptive statistics will measure alliances and repeated measures ANOVA will measure trends and changes in depression scores. Enrollment began in October 2023. A total of 12 participants completed at least 10 BA sessions and all study measures by the time the study concluded in May 2024. In August 2024, data analysis occurred with an anticipated manuscript to be submitted for publication in October 2024. Results from this study will inform future studies into the implementation of an evidence-based mental health intervention in a limited resource setting for Latino people with limited English proficiency. DERR1-10.2196/57343.

Management of cervical cancer in pregnancy in a low resource setting: a rare case report

BackgroundCervical cancer in pregnancy is a rare event. Diagnosis and management of cervical cancer in pregnancy is complicated and challenging in a low resource setting.Case presentationHerein, we present a case of cervical cancer (FIGO stage IB3) diagnosed at 28+ 5 weeks and successfully managed at 37+ 2 weeks of gestation in a 27-year-old woman.ConclusionThis is the first case report on cervical cancer in pregnancy from Bhutan. It highlights the diagnostic and management challenges in a low resource country.

Supportive care 2030 movement: towards unifying ambitions for global excellence in supportive cancer care—an international Delphi study

Supportive care to ensure optimal quality of life is an essential component of cancer care and symptom control across the lifespan. Ongoing advances in cancer treatment, increasing toxicity from many novel treatment regimes, and variations in access to care and cancer outcomes across the globe and resource settings present significant challenges for supportive care delivery. To date, no overarching framework has been developed to guide supportive care development worldwide. As an initial step of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) Supportive Care 2030 Movement, we developed a targeted, unifying set of ambition statements to envision the future of supportive cancer care. From September 2022 until June 2023, we used a modified Delphi methodology to develop and attain consensus about ambition statements related to supportive cancer care. Leaders of MASCC Study Groups were invited to participate in an Expert Panel for the first two Delphi rounds (and a preliminary round to suggest potential ambition statements). Patient Advocates then examined and provided input regarding the ambition statements. Twenty-seven Expert Panelists and 11 Patient Advocates participated. Consensus was attained on 13 ambition statements, with two sub-statements. The ambition statements addressed global standards for guideline development and implementation, coordinated and individualized care, dedicated supportive oncology services, self-management, needs for screening and actions, patient education, behavioral support, financial impact minimization, comprehensive survivorship care, and timely palliative care, reflecting collaboration, coordination and team-based approach across all levels. This study is the first to develop shared ambitions for the future of supportive cancer care on a global level. These ambition statements can facilitate a coordinated, resource-stratified, and person-centered approach and inform research, education, clinical services, and policy efforts. This project received funding support from Prof Raymond Chan's NHMRC Investigator Grant (APP1194051).

The creation of a pediatric surgical checklist for adult providers

PurposeTo address the need for a pediatric surgical checklist for adult providers.BackgroundPediatric surgery is unique due to the specific needs and many tasks that are employed in the care of adults require accommodations for children. There are some resources for adult surgeons to perform safe pediatric surgery and to assist such surgeons in pediatric emergencies, we created a straightforward checklist based on current literature. We propose a surgical checklist as the value of surgical checklists has been validated through research in a variety of applications.MethodsLiterature review on PubMed to gather information on current resources for pediatric surgery, all papers on surgical checklists describing their outcomes as of October 2023 were included to prevent a biased overview of the existing literature. Interviews with multiple pediatric surgeons were conducted for the creation of a checklist that is relevant to the field and has limited bias.ResultsForty-two papers with 8,529,061 total participants were included. The positive impact of checklists was highlighted throughout the literature in terms of outcomes, financial cost and team relationship. Certain care checkpoints emerged as vital checklist items: antibiotic administration, anesthetic considerations, intraoperative hemodynamics and postoperative resuscitation. The result was the creation of a checklist that is not substitutive for existing WHO surgery checklists but additive for adult surgeons who must operate on children in emergencies.ConclusionThe outcomes measured throughout the literature are varied and thus provide both a nuanced view of a variety of factors that must be taken into account and are limited in the amount of evidence for each outcome. We hope to implement the checklist developed to create a standard of care for pediatric surgery performed in low resource settings by adult surgeons and further evaluate its impact on emergency pediatric surgery outcomes.FundingFulbright Fogarty Fellowship, GHES NIH FIC D43 TW010540.

Challenge of diagnosing acute infections in poor resource settings in Africa

Frequent disease outbreaks and acute infections occur in rural and low-income urban areas of Africa, with many health systems unprepared to diagnose and control diseases that are recurrent, endemic or have extended their geographic zone. In this review, we focus on acute infections that can be characterized by sudden onset, rapid progression, severe symptoms and poor prognosis. Consequently, these infections require early diagnosis and intervention. While effective vaccines have been developed against some of these diseases, lack of compliance and accessibility, and the need for repeated or multiple vaccinations mean large populations can remain vulnerable to infection. It follows that there is a need for enhancement of national surveillance and diagnostic capacity to avert morbidity and mortality from acute infections. We discuss the limitations of traditional diagnostic methods and explore the relative merits and applicability of protein-, carbohydrate- and nucleic acid-based rapid diagnostic tests that have been develope for some infectious diseases. We also discuss the utility and limitations of antibody-based serological diagnostics and explore how systems biology approaches can better inform diagnosis. Lastly, given the complexity and high cost associated with after-service support of emerging technologies, we propose that, for resource-limited settings in Africa, multiplex point-of-care diagnostic tools be tailor-made to detect both recurrent acute infections and endemic infections.

Teaching critical thinking about health information and choices in secondary schools: human-centred design of digital resources.

Learning to thinking critically about health information and choices can protect people from unnecessary suffering, harm, and resource waste. Earlier work revealed that children can learn these skills, but printing costs and curricula compatibility remain important barriers to school implementation. We aimed to develop a set of digital learning resources for students to think critically about health that were suitable for use in Kenyan, Rwandan, and Ugandan secondary schools. We conducted work in two phases collaborating with teachers, students, schools, and national curriculum development offices using a human-centred design approach. First, we conducted context analyses and an overview of teaching strategies, prioritised content and collected examples. Next, we developed lessons and guidance iteratively, informed by data from user-testing, individual and group interviews, and school pilots. Final resources include online lesson plans, teachers' guide, and extra resources, with lesson plans in two modes, for use in a classroom equipped with a blackboard/flip-chart and a projector. The resources are accessible offline for use when electricity or Internet is lacking. Teachers preferred the projector mode, as it provided structure and a focal point for class attention. Feedback was largely positive, with teachers and students appreciating the learning and experiencing it as relevant. Four main challenges included time to teach lessons; incorrect comprehension; identifying suitable examples; and technical, logistical, and behavioural challenges with a student-computer mode that we piloted. We resolved challenges by simplifying and combining lessons; increasing opportunities for review and assessment; developing teacher training materials, creating a searchable set of examples; and deactivating the student-computer mode. Using a human-centred design approach, we created digital resources for teaching secondary school students to think critically about health actions and for training teachers. Be smart about your health resources are open access and can be translated or adapted to other settings.

Fundamental Patterns of Structural Evolution Revealed by Chromosome-Length Genomes of Cactophilic Drosophila.

A thorough understanding of adaptation and speciation requires model organisms with both a history of ecological and phenotypic study as well as a complete set of genomic resources. In particular, high-quality genome assemblies of ecological model organisms are needed to assess the evolution of genome structure and its role in adaptation and speciation. Here, we generate new genomes of cactophilic Drosophila, a crucial model clade for understanding speciation and ecological adaptation in xeric environments. We generated chromosome-level genome assemblies and complete annotations for seven populations across Drosophila mojavensis, Drosophila arizonae, and Drosophila navojoa. We use these data first to establish the most robust phylogeny for this clade to date, and to assess patterns of molecular evolution across the phylogeny, showing concordance with a priori hypotheses regarding adaptive genes in this system. We then show that structural evolution occurs at constant rate across the phylogeny, varies by chromosome, and is correlated with molecular evolution. These results advance the understanding of the D. mojavensis clade by demonstrating core evolutionary genetic patterns and integrating those patterns to generate new gene-level hypotheses regarding adaptation. Our data are presented in a new public database (cactusflybase.arizona.edu), providing one of the most in-depth resources for the analysis of inter- and intraspecific evolutionary genomic data. Furthermore, we anticipate that the patterns of structural evolution identified here will serve as a baseline for future comparative studies to identify the factors that influence the evolution of genome structure across taxa.

Justifying access to kidney care in low resource and humanitarian settings.

Access to and quality of kidney care is not equitable between or within countries. A natural question is whether global kidney care inequities are always unjustifiable and unfair, or are sometimes due to unavoidable competing or conflicting ethical duties or responsibilities. Health is a fundamental right for all people. People with kidney conditions should have the same claim on this human right as others. Countries have an obligation to progressively fulfil this right and a duty to do so equitably, but global progress has been slow. Countries with limited resources or faced with humanitarian emergencies must set priorities to allocate resources fairly. This process involves trade-offs and often people requiring kidney replacement therapy are left out because of costs, logistics and lack of data. Major burdens are placed on clinicians who grapple between their duty to their patient and professional codes and their responsibility to a 'greater good'. These dilemmas apply also to industry, governments and the international community who must recognize their share in these duties. Inequities in kidney health and care must be acknowledged and sustainable and collaborative solutions urgently found such that right to kidney care is progressively upheld for everyone everywhere.

Treatment of ocular surface squamous neoplasia in an Indian rural facility: a study of 38 eyes

PurposeTo report the demographic profile, clinical presentation, and management outcomes of ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) treated with primary topical chemotherapy in a limited resource secondary eye care facility in rural parts of South India.MethodsRetrospective interventional study of 38 eyes of 37 patients with OSSN treated with topical 1% 5-Fluorouracil (5FU), over a period of two years.ResultsThe median age at presentation with OSSN was 44 years (mean, 46 years; range 13 to 74 years). Majority (76%) were males. The most common morphological variant was placoid OSSN (18, 47%). Limbus was the most common epicenter (31, 82%). Corneal OSSN was the most initially misdiagnosed variant (n = 3). Of the 38 eyes receiving one week on and 3-weeks off cycles of 5FU regimen, complete tumor resolution was achieved in 36 (95%) eyes. The median number of topical 5FU cycles for tumor resolution was 2 (mean, 2; range, 1 to 4). Over a median follow-up period of 5 months (mean, 6 months; range, 1 to 27 months), tumor recurrence was noted in 3 eyes (8%), of which one case had xeroderma pigmentosum with bilateral multifocal recurrence. Complication rate was 5% (n = 2), which included transient conjunctival hyperemia (n = 1), and bacterial keratitis (n = 1) which resolved with fortified antibiotics.ConclusionPrimary chemotherapy with topical 1% 5FU is a safe and effective management modality for OSSN at limited resource settings in rural India.

The use of animation tools in the media space of library for the formation of undergraduates' teamwork skills

The problem and the aim of the study. The modernization of library education involves the use of technologies that provide simultaneous work with sound, statistical images, and texts in an interactive mode. The ability to use information tools, in particular computer animation, in working on projects and teamwork skills are indemand soft skills, the maturity of which largely determines the professional self-realization of librarianship specialists. The purpose of the study is to identify the potential of using animation tools in the library's media space to develop the teamwork skills of master’s students. Research methods. The media space of the library is considered as a set of resources that allow professional collaboration of cultural institutions in a new format, attracting potential users to visit libraries, as well as informing them about their services. The Renderforest platform is used to develop didactic animation. The experiment involved 64 undergraduates of specialty 04.51.01 Cultural studies, profile – "Socio-cultural design", Vyatka State University (Russian Federation). The authors use V. Stefanson's methodology to assess the level of teamwork skills of master's students. For statistical processing, – Pearson's χ2 (chi-square) test. A group of experts has been involved in the evaluation of media projects for “Library Night” event. Fisher's method was used to establish statistically significant differences. Results. The students of the experimental group used animation tools to develop projects and library and information services according to the following algorithm: studying a digital service, defining the concept of an action/event for “Library Night”, writing a script, implementing a project, evaluating the potential for the development of the library's media space. Statistically significant differences in the qualitative changes that occurred in the system were revealed: according to the levels of formation of teamwork skills according to the criteria of dependence/non-dependence on the opinion of the group (χ2 = 6.427; p < 0.05); sociability/ nonsociability (χ2 = 7.879; p < 0.05); acceptance of "struggle" / "struggle" / avoidance of "struggle" (χ2 = 6.081; p < 0.05); and by the quality of training – φcrit=1.64<φemp=2.804. Conclusion. The possibilities of using animation tools in the media space of the library for the development of teamwork skills of master’s students are formulated: new formats of collaboration and project activities, innovative work experience, etc. However, there are also factors complicating the process: absence of clear leadership; constrains of communication; weak motivation; low social status of the profession.

Electronic Skin as Human–Robot Interface for Human Grasp Recognition in Home-Care Robots: Introducing a Complete Set of Resources

Population aging has highlighted the significance of developing home-care robots to assist human life. However, traditional home-care robots work according to fixed procedures, which lack human–robot interaction to mimic human hand action. Human–robot interfaces provide an opportunity for interactions between robots and users, which play an important role in home-care robots. Traditional human–robot interfaces are based on rigid, cumbersome, and high-priced machines, which prevent their wide application in performing home-care tasks. An e-skin sensor with 11 stretchable resistors evenly distributed on the back of the human hand, which could be applied to monitor human finger motion and control robotic fingers to dexterously grasp diverse objects, is presented in this article. A 3D printer is employed to pattern high-performance wires into structurally soft and stretchable filamentary serpentines. The stretchable resistors are fabricated by a thin sensing film of mixed multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and silicone elastomer. The e-skin sensor is applied in a hand-in-the-loop system for controlling a robotic hand to help grasp an object synchronously. A robot system is developed to connect the e-skin with the robotic hand to perform grasp actions with a success rate of more than 80%. By analyzing the experimental results of the e-skin sensor and robotic hand grasp, this work obtains insights showing that the skin sensor can help engineers design a home-care assistant plan for patients according to monitoring value or a human–robot interaction mode by robotic fingers mimicking human finger actions.