Successful Usage Research Articles

Catalysts of successful WealthTech continuous usage: the role of fit factors, usage experience and digital nudging

Catalysts of successful WealthTech continuous usage: the role of fit factors, usage experience and digital nudging

Virtual and Augmented Reality: Enhancing Customer Experience and Future Trends in VR/AR

Increased Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) within the Field of Instruction AR and VR advances have revolutionized the way we instruct and learn, advertising immersive computerized encounters, hands-on reenactments, and upgraded engagement. In spite of the fact that still in their early stages, these innovations have experienced fast development within the instructive division, with wearable gadgets playing a significant part. An in-depth examination of 1536 thinks about from the Scopus database appears a require for more successful usage and customization of these innovations inside instructive settings. As AR and VR innovations proceed to development, there's a developing number of instructive employments for them within the domain of proficiency. The Advancement of Virtual Reality Technology The thought of virtual reality was to begin with presented within the 1960s, with the primary VR items hitting the showcase within the late 1980s. A scient metric consider of 21,667 VR inquire about papers and 9,944 AR inquire about papers uncovers a complex and advancing scene. This ponder focuses out the development of clinical ranges and the rise within the number of nations partaking in VR investigate. Long run of VR/AR/MRITF is expected to cause major disturbances in different logical disciplines, human interaction, and the economy.

Exploring the perspectives of health care professionals on digital health technologies in pediatric care and rehabilitation

BackgroundDigital health technologies are increasingly used by healthcare professionals working in pediatric hospital and rehabilitation settings. Multiple factors may affect the implementation and use of digital health technologies in these settings. However, such factors have not been identified in a multidisciplinary, pediatric context. The objective of this study was to describe actual use and to identify the factors that promote or hinder the intention to use digital health technologies (mobile learning applications, virtual/augmented reality, serious games, robotic devices, telehealth applications, computerized assessment tools, and wearables) among pediatric healthcare professionals.MethodsAn online survey evaluating opinions, current use, and future intentions to use digital health technologies was completed by 108 professionals at one of Canada’s largest pediatric institutes. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare the attitudes of healthcare professionals who intend to increase their use of digital health technologies and those who do not. Linear regression analyses were used to determine predictors of usage success.ResultsHealthcare professionals reported mostly using mobile and tablet learning applications (n = 43, 38.1%), telehealth applications (n = 49, 43.4%), and computerized assessment tools (n = 33, 29.2%). Attitudes promoting the intention to increase the use of digital health technologies varied according to technology type. Healthcare professionals who wished to increase their use of digital health technologies reported a more positive attitude regarding benefits in clinical practice and patient care, but were also more critical of potential negative impacts on patient-professional relationships. Ease of use (β = 0.374; p = 0.020) was a significant predictor of more favorable usage success. The range of obstacles encountered was also a significant predictor (β = 0.342; p = 0.032) of less favorable evaluation of usage success. Specific factors that hinder successful usage are lack of training (β = 0.303; p = 0.033) and inadequate infrastructure (β = 0.342; p = 0.032).ConclusionsWhen working with children, incorporating digital health technologies can be effective for motivation and adherence. However, it is crucial to ensure these tools are implemented properly. The findings of this study underscore the importance of addressing training and infrastructure needs when elaborating technology-specific strategies for multidisciplinary adoption of digital health technologies in pediatric settings.

Altruistic and egoistic motivations to engage with contact-tracing apps: Lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic

During the Covid-19 pandemic, contact-tracing apps have offered effective help to bend the contagion curve. Thus, it is of critical importance to understand the factors that influence contact-tracing apps’ adoption among citizens. In particular, the successful adoption and usage of contact-tracing apps strongly relies on individual motives. Therefore, this study draws on the theory of altruistic and egoistic motivation for prosocial behaviours to analyse the underlying motives through which citizens engage in voluntary behaviours aimed at using and promoting the use of contact-tracing apps. The study also examines the mediating role of users’ trust in the app. Data from 221 users of Ireland’s Covid Tracker app was analysed. Structural equation modelling with PLS was used to test the research model. Findings show differences between egoistic and altruistic motivation in promoting app use and sharing. Egoistic motivation significantly promotes voluntary behaviours among citizens and users’ trust in the app mediates this influence. Yet, contrary to predictions, in the context of the pandemic, altruistic motivation does not play a significant role in engaging citizens in these voluntary behaviours, either directly or indirectly. The findings of this study are important for policy makers and may inform future policy decisions regarding the implementation of contact-tracing apps in the case of new pandemics or for other contexts requiring cooperative daily check-in.

WP4.11 - Oral Gastrograffin Usage in Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction: a re-audit

Abstract Aim to establish the successful usage of oral gastrograffin in patients presenting with adhesive small bowel obstruction (SBO). Methods This is a retrospective follow-up study, using a combined data collected from two NHS Trusts, from July 2022 to January 2024. Patients presented with adhesive SBO were included in this study, who were given 100 ml of oral gastrograffin after diagnosis for SBO. Patients were arranged to have plain abdominal x-ray approximately 8-hours post-gastrograffin drinks/or infusion via nasogastric (NG) tube to ascertain if oral contrast had passed the transition point, identified on initial abdominal CT scan. Patients were then reviewed for their symptomatic relief including bowels movement. Results 132 patients were identified but 108 patients were included, who had surgery. 24 patients were excluded because they did not have post-gastrograffin x-ray. Average age of patients was 63+/-14 years. It was observed that 82 patients (75.9%) opened their bowels after administration of first dose of gastrograffin, while 26 patients (24%) did not. 16 out of these 26 patients required surgery; and the remaining 10 (38.4%) had 2nd dose of gastrograffin, of which 4 patients (40%) moved bowels but 6 (60%) still did not and required surgery. Post-contrast x-rays, showed that contrast passed through into large bowel in 76 patients (70.3%) after 1st dose of gastrograffin and in further 40% after 2nd dose. Conclusion clinically significant number of patients responded to such conservative measures. Therefore, routine oral gastrograffin usage is suggested as an effective adjunct to non-operative measures in adhesive SBO management.

Effects of dimethoxymethane and isopropanol blending on soot formation in ethylene and propane counterflow diffusion flames

Introducing low-carbon oxygenated fuels into the current transport sector provides an effective pathway for mitigating the emissions of greenhouse gases and harmful pollutants such as soot. Previous studies have revealed that oxygenated fuels can reduce soot formation, but the soot-reduction potential is closely related to the chemical interaction between the oxygenates and the baseline hydrocarbons. This work is devoted to study the effects of blending dimethoxymethane (DMM) and isopropanol (IPA) on soot formation in ethylene-based and propane-based counterflow diffusion flames. Soot formation in the target flames was experimentally characterized using a planar light extinction technique, accompanied by numerical analysis to provide complementary insights. The results confirmed that the effects of blending oxygenates on soot formation are sensitive to the fuel-specific molecular structure of the oxygenates and hydrocarbons. For the C2H4-based flames, blending DMM and IPA could lead to a synergistic effect on soot formation due to chemical fuel interaction, with stronger synergy observed with IPA blending. In contrast, no evident synergistic effects on soot formation were observed in the C3H8-based flames, for which a notable soot reduction was observed with DMM blending. Reaction pathway analysis suggested that the occurrence of soot synergy in the C2H4-based flames is mainly due to the chemical interaction between the methyl radicals generated from DMM/IPA and the C2 species from C2H4. This study is expected to deepen our understanding of the soot formation behavior of DMM- and IPA-blended flames, thus contributing to their successful usage as clean alternative fuels.

Successful creation and long-term usage of radiocephalic fistula based on the recanalized completely occluded radial artery.

The total occlusion of radial artery is a contraindication for reintervention and further usage. In this study, we report successful revascularization with creation of radiocephalic fistula from post-procedural chronically-occluded radial artery. The completely occluded radial artery was recanalized through ultrasound guided balloon angioplasty. A traditional radiocephalic fistula was created subsequently by using the recanalized radial artery for hemodialysis therapy. Though the fistula was failed at the 6 weeks caused by the juxta anastomotic stenosis, the further ultrasound guided percutaneous transluminal angioplasty restored the blood, and the hemodialysis therapy lasts for more than 1 year so far. It's feasible to create radiocephalic fistula based on the recanalized radial artery and maintain long-term hemodialysis therapy.

Benefits and Challenges of Digital Transformation Technologies in the Financial Services Sector: A Case Study of two Commercial Banks in Zambia

This paper focuses on issues affecting digital transformation technologies (DTTs) in the financial services sector, especially banks. Many banks have made huge investments in technologies to guarantee uninterrupted operations and optimize service provision. This paper ascertains the benefits and challenges that contribute to the effective application of Digital Transformation Technologies (DTTs) in commercial banks. It explores various factors that impact the usage of DTTs and employee performance. The study methodology encompassed both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Online questionnaires were used to collect data. Bank Annual reports were analyzed to collect information that related to the aim of the study. Findings revealed that increased efficiency, improved data collection and innovation were the main benefits of using DTTs in the financial services sector. The main challenges identified in the study included employee resistance to change, complexity of systems and cybersecurity. Banks need to address these issues and recommendations were made for them to engage specific stakeholders for successful DTTs implementation and usage. Organizations must budget and allocate adequate finances to procure the technologies and train employees The findings of the study are expected to contribute to the body of knowledge on DTTs and provide valuable insights for policy makers to make informed decisions. Future research areas identified for further study include insurance, health, and manufacturing sectors with specific focus on Artificial Intelligence and Cloud computing technologies.

Ca-doped ZnO nanoparticles for MB dye degradation and adsorptive removal of tinidazole.

Industrial dye degradation involves several processes by which dyes are broken down, ideally into innocuous products. Methylene blue (MB) is one of the most commonly employed dyes in the textile industry and is released into water in routine industry processes. These discharges lead to creating a nocuous nature for humans and animals. Drugs are also discharged into water bodies from various pharmaceutical industries. In these two contexts, in the present work, the green synthesis of calcium-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles (Ca-doped ZnO NPs) is achieved using the aqueous peel extract of Citrus limetta by the solution combustion technique. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the synthesized Ca-doped ZnO NPs are investigated using XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDX, and UV-visible spectroscopy. The prepared NPs were subjected to photocatalytic degradation of MB dye under visible-light illumination, which shows ~ 95% dye degradation. The synthesized Ca-doped ZnO NPs were also employed to adsorb tinidazole (TDZ), a nitroimidazole antibiotic, from water samples. An excellent adsorptive capacity of the NPs was observed for selectively adsorbing the TDZ ~ 96.2%. The drug TDZ was found to have pseudo-second-order kinetics. The catalyst recycling proved its repeatability; removal of the dye reached up to 92% after three successive usages. Therefore, using waste Citrus limetta peel extract, the multifunctional Ca-doped ZnO NPs were synthesized, which maintained effective adsorption potential and photocatalytic abilities and could be used as an effective material for environmental remediation.

Critical Factors for the Successful Usage of Fly Ash in Road Sectors, Analyzing Mega Projects of Pakistan

Critical Factors for the Successful Usage of Fly Ash in Road Sectors, Analyzing Mega Projects of Pakistan

Desired dementia care towards end of life: Development and experiences of implementing a new approach to improve person‐centred dementia care

AbstractAimsTo describe the co‐creation of the ‘Desired Dementia Care Towards End of Life’ (DEDICATED) approach to improve person‐centred palliative care for individuals with dementia and to describe the experiences of healthcare professionals during the approach's implementation.MethodsA needs assessment, comprising both qualitative and quantitative studies, informed palliative care needs of healthcare professionals, family caregivers and individuals with dementia. The approach was co‐created with healthcare and education professionals, guided by the findings. Then, healthcare professionals were trained to implement the approach in their organizations. From April to June 2022, semi‐structured interviews with actively engaged professionals were analysed using Conventional Content Analysis.ResultsThe needs assessment yielded six key themes: (1) raising palliative care awareness, (2) familiarization with a person with dementia, (3) communication about future care preferences, (4) managing pain and responsive behaviour, (5) enhancing interprofessional collaboration in advance care planning and (6) improving interprofessional collaboration during transitions to nursing homes. Interviews with 17 healthcare professionals revealed that active involvement in co‐creating or providing feedback facilitated implementation. Overall, the DEDICATED approach was perceived as a valuable toolkit for optimizing palliative care for people with dementia and their loved ones.ConclusionCo‐creating the DEDICATED approach with healthcare professionals facilitated implementation in daily practice. The approach was considered helpful in enhancing person‐centred palliative dementia care.Impact StatementThis study underscores the importance of active involvement of healthcare professionals in the research and development of new interventions or tools for palliative care, which can influence the successful implementation, dissemination and sustained usage of the developed tools.Implications for the Profession and Patient CareThe developed approach can improve person‐centred palliative care for individuals with dementia, ultimately improving their quality of life and that of their loved ones.Reporting MethodThis study used the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research.Patient of Public ContributionNo patient or public contribution.

Improvement in depressive symptoms in a patient with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa and comorbid major depressive disorder using psychotherapy-assisted IV ketamine : a case report

Background Anorexia nervosa is a life-threatening psychiatric illness with a high mortality rate and limited treatment options. This illness is frequently comorbid with major depressive disorder, leading to additional obstacles in patient quality of life, and increasing the mortality rate further due to risk of suicide. Ketamine, a competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, has been shown to be beneficial in depression given its effects on neuroplasticity. There are few cases in the literature describing ketamine use in patients with eating disorders, and even fewer that describe psychotherapy-assisted ketamine use in this patient population. We present the case of a 33-year-old woman with a history of severe and enduring anorexia nervosa and comorbid major depressive disorder who we treated safely with ketamine-assisted psychotherapy using intravenous ketamine in a general hospital setting.Case presentationOur patient is a 33-year-old woman with past psychiatric history of severe and enduring anorexia nervosa and major depressive disorder with comorbid psychiatric and medical conditions who presented to the hospital due to malnutrition. She had an extensive psychiatric history as well as multiple medical hospitalizations due to her eating disorder. She had tried numerous psychiatric treatments, including antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, electroconvulsive therapy, and multiple types of therapies without significant improvement in symptoms. She agreed to try ketamine for treatment-resistant depression and received it intravenously for seven sessions in a closely monitored setting, and simultaneously engaged in acceptance and commitment therapy during sessions. She demonstrated increased cognitive flexibility, disappearance of suicidal ideation, and reduction in Beck Depression Inventory Scores.ConclusionsOur case is unique in that it demonstrates the successful usage of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy in a hospital setting with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa and comorbid major depressive disorder. Her body mass index was profoundly low at 13, whereas the lowest documented in the literature was 16.9. This case shows that ketamine-assisted psychotherapy may be a promising treatment modality for patients with anorexia nervosa with co-morbid depression who have failed other interventions.

Protection of animals against devastating RNA viruses using CRISPR-Cas13s

The intrinsic nature of CRISPR-Cas in conferring immunity to bacteria and archaea has been repurposed to combat pathogenic agents in mammalian and plant cells. In this regard, CRISPR-Cas13 systems have proved their remarkable potential for single-strand RNA viruses targeting. Here, different types of Cas13 orthologs were applied to knockdown foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), a highly contagious disease of a wide variety of species with genetically diverse strains and is widely geographically distributed. Using programmable CRISPR RNAs capable of targeting conserved regions of the viral genome, all Cas13s from CRISPR system type VI (subtype A/B/D) could comprehensively target and repress different serotypes of FMDV virus. This approach has the potential to destroy all strains of a virus as targets the ultra-conserved regions of genome. We experimentally compared the silencing efficiency of CRISPR and RNAi by designing the most effective short hairpin RNAs according to our developed scoring system and observed comparable results. This study showed successful usage of various Cas13 enzymes for suppression of FMDV, which provides a flexible strategy to battle with other animal infectious RNA viruses, an underdeveloped field in the biotechnology scope.

Prehabilitation: The underutilised weapon for chronic pain management.

Prehabilitation encompasses preparatory clinical intervention(s) delivered during the period between diagnosis and treatment commencement. Despite widespread successful usage preoperatively, psychological prehabilitation is neglected in outpatient chronic pain management. Although pain management waitlists are associated with treatment attrition and psychological and physical decline, this time window is underutilised in preventing escalation. Waitlists present an under-explored opportunity to 'prehabilitate' patients waiting for treatment. This topical review aimed to: (1) examine the effectiveness of psychological prehabilitation for pain services; (2) evaluate the psychological and physical decline associated with waiting for pain management; (3) highlight key psychological prehabilitative targets for increasing treatment engagement; (4) promote pain management psychological prehabilitation within personalised pain medicine, building recommendations for future interventions. Studies regarding the impact of waitlists and prehabilitation for chronic pain were reviewed. Findings demonstrated that the psychological constructs of patient expectations, health locus of control, self-efficacy and pain catastrophizing dynamically influence attrition, treatment engagement and outcomes while waiting. These constructs are amenable to change, emphasising their potential utility within a targeted waitlist intervention. Prehabilitating chronic pain patients towards treatment engagement could circumvent cycles of failed treatment seeking, preventing psychological and physical decline, and reducing healthcare utilisation. Utilising the waitlist to identify psychosocial risk factors (external health locus of control, low self-efficacy and high pain catastrophizing) would identify who requires additional support to prevent increased risk of treatment failure, enhancing personalised care before prescribed treatment is accessed. This review cements the urgent need for pain services to engage proactively with prehabilitation innovation.

E-commerce growth in Pakistan: A critical review in light of Abhijeet Banerjee’s poverty alleviation theory

This review paper looks at how e-commerce has shown up as a vital means of stimulating productivity and growth in the current digital age, penetrating the markets of most of the world deep without any signs of letting up. Moreover, it also looks at e-commerce growth and its usage in Pakistan in the recent times, its potentiality, and draws a comparison with China’s successful usage of e-commerce to boost productivity and alleviate poverty, allowing rural areas also to reap the benefits the internet provides. Can Pakistan also somehow use e-commerce to do the same and lift out the millions struck in destitution, somehow fixing the economy in the process? Plagued by structural, geographical, educational, lingual, technological, and cultural issues, this paper also does a parallel analysis with Abhijeet Bannerjee’s Poverty Alleviation Theory in hopes of rooting out the shortcomings Pakistan faces. This is done with the intention of identifying what can be done to rectify these glaring issues using an approach that’s palatable to the Pakistani population.

A framework for modelling the probability of flooding under levee breaching

AbstractLevees aim to provide protection during floods, however, these structures can breach, causing significant damage. Flood maps that include levee breaching are often limited to deterministic methods. Where probabilistic breaching is done, it often requires computationally expensive Monte Carlo simulations and an understanding of the geotechnical levee properties that are often limited. In this paper, we combine existing fragility curves and empirical breaching equations with a framework for automating levee breaching in catchments with limited geotechnical information. This method can be adapted and applied to existing 2D flood models to determine the probability of inundation, given that a breach occurs. This ultimately allows for greater emergency responses and land use planning to reduce the flood risk faced by our communities. The method was applied to four case study catchments. The results showed that including levee breaching in one catchment led to an average increase in the inundated area by 48.2% and a tripling in the potentially exposed area. However, breaching in some locations reduced the inundation extent by 12%, illustrating the potential for fuse plug levees and floodways as a flood mitigation strategy. This strategy has seen successful usage internationally. Further investigation is recommended to consider whether these mitigation strategies should be enacted.

Pr3+-doped YPO4 nanocrystal embedded into an optical fiber.

Optical fiber with YPO4:Pr3+ nanocrystals (NCs) is presented for the first time using the glass powder-NCs doping method. The method's advantage is separate preparation of NCs and glass to preserve luminescent and optical properties of NCs once they are incorporated into optical fiber. The YPO4:Pr3+ nanocrystals were synthesized by the co-precipitation and hydrothermal methods, optimized for size (< 100nm), shape, Pr3+ ions concentration (0.2mol%), and emission lifetime. The core glass was selected from the non-silica P2O5-containing system with refractive index (n = 1.788) close to the NCs (no = 1.657, ne = 1.838). Optical fiber was drawn by modified powder-in-tube method after pre-sintering of glass powder-YPO4:Pr3+ (wt 3%) mixture to form optical fiber preform. Luminescent properties of YPO4:Pr3+ and optical fiber showed their excellent agreement, including sharp Pr3+ emission at 600nm (1D2-3H4) and 1D2 level lifetime (τ = 156 ± 5µs) under 488nm excitation. The distribution of the YPO4:Pr3+ NCs in optical fiber were analyzed by TEM-EDS in the core region (FIB-SEM-prepared). The successful usage of glass powder-NCs doping method was discussed in the aspect of promising properties of the first YPO4:Pr3+ doped optical fiber as a new way to develop active materials for lasing applications, among others.

On the stress- and strain-based fatigue behavior of welded thick-walled nodular cast iron

Nodular cast iron (GJS) represents one of the most widely used materials for vehicle, energy and heavy machinery industry. Nevertheless, foundries struggling with the influence of local material defects in GJS like pores, shrinkages and dross often leading to a locally reduced fatigue strength of the entire component. One measure to tackle those negative effects is the welding of the affected areas. This measure is then successful when locally achieved material strengths and surface qualities are higher than the component with the casting defect. Unfortunately, data for the lifetime and fatigue assessment of welded GJS are not present right now. Thus, the research project »nodularWELD« assessed the local stress- and strain-based fatigue data of different thick-walled GJS grades for building a basis for a successful usage even of defect affected components. So, three ferritic and pearlitic GJS grades were investigated in the heat-affected zone, the base material, the welding filler and more over in an integral material state comprising all those three aforementioned states based on axial and bending investigations. Additionally metallographic and fractographic analysis were conducted.

Formation and Variability of Barrier Layer in the South Pacific

AbstractThe oceanic barrier layer (BL), dominated by salinity stratification, plays an important role in regulating heat exchange between the mixed layer and the interior ocean. However, the salinity contribution is ignored or underestimated when analyses relying only on temperature threshold methods. Here we introduce the Turner Angle method to quantify the salinity contribution and to obtain relatively accurate BL thickness (BLT), and further to investigate the spatial‐temporal distribution, thickness variation and formation mechanism of the BL in the South Pacific using the updated Argo data during 2005–2021. With the successful usage of this method, we eliminate 41% of the invalid BLs and therefore improve the assessment of the BLs in the South Pacific. Formation of the thick BLs in the South Pacific is attributed to the faster deepening rate of the isothermal layer than the mixed layer. The deepening rate of the isothermal layer is facilitated by subsurface subantarctic mode water while that of the mixed layer is constrained by the subsurface salinity maximum in the South Pacific. On the interannual scale, the BLT in the South Pacific manifests a quasi‐biennial variability, which is closely connected with the variability in the isothermal layer depth and is primarily caused by the anomalous winds driven by the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). The SAM‐related anomalous winds regulate the isothermal layer and further the BL by exerting influences air‐sea heat fluxes and the Ekman layer advection.

The Role of Ergonomic and Human Factors in Sustainable Manufacturing: A Review

The study and implementation of ergonomics are vital for the growth of industries and improvement in work cultures. Sustainable manufacturing cannot be achieved without the implementation of human-factor ergonomics. Ergonomics is used to analyze the link between research studies and industrial practices in order to maximize the efficiency of processes by keeping in view the well-being of workforce. Designing tools, tasks, machines, systems, jobs, and settings for efficient, safe, and successful human usage involves applying knowledge about human behavior, abilities, and limitations. Workers are the backbone of the manufacturing economy. The review outlines significant advancements in preventing ergonomic problems during the design stage of the manufacturing process to achieve sustainability. The bibliometric analysis is used to identify the literature base for ergonomics. To maximize the benefits of ergonomics and to integrate sustainable practices, various methods are required to organize existing processes and technologies. The human-centered design identifies problems and aligns the output with the intended objectives of sustainability. The goal of human factors and ergonomics is to successfully integrate people into systems and develop the manufacturing processes around the well-being of workers and sustainability principles. Similarly, ergoecology, eco-ergonomics, and green ergonomics are frequently used for sustainable manufacturing. Achieving sustainability in manufacturing is not possible without considering human ergonomics. Ergonomists frequently research management, planning, and other topics to increase the efficiency of the manufacturing process. Efficient worker performance and quality of life can be enhanced through work design, management, and organizational ergonomics. Human ergonomics relates sustainability with cognitive variables such as situational awareness, human reliability, and decision-making abilities. This review explains the role of human factors and ergonomics for sustainable manufacturing.