Separation Time Research Articles

A longitudinal study of enjoyment and group-level emotion regulation in online collaborative English language learning

This study investigates the dynamic connection between two emotional constructs, enjoyment and group-level emotion regulation (co- and socially-shared regulation), during one 21-week semester of online collaborative English language learning. The study involved 268 Chinese undergraduate English-major students who completed a series of English writing tasks in 88 online groups of three or four members. During their online collaboration, participants were invited to complete the enjoyment scale and the emotion regulation scale at three separate times at seven-week intervals. When analyzing the data, a latent growth curve (LGC) modeling approach was employed to examine the intercepts and slopes of participants’ scaled responses to questions regarding enjoyment, co-regulation, and socially-shared regulation and to analyze the covariance between them. The findings reveal that participants’ levels of enjoyment and group-level emotion regulation were generally high at the initial stage of their online collaboration and continued to increase toward the end of the semester. Furthermore, an increase in the level of their enjoyment was significantly and positively associated with an increase in the levels of both their co- and socially-shared regulation, with the relationship with socially-shared regulation during online collaborative learning being stronger. These findings will enable language teachers to develop strategies for supporting language learners’ emotion regulation in online contexts.

Reduction of Preoperative Anxiety Using Virtual Reality vs Midazolam: A Randomized Controlled Trial

More than 50% of pediatric patients experience significant stress and anxiety prior to surgery.1 High anxiety can result in increased postoperative pain, analgesic consumption, and delayed recovery.2 To reduce this preoperative anxiety, multiple therapeutic modalities have been developed, including the use of distraction, such as playing video games, watching movies, and listening to music. In severe cases of anxiety, anxiolytic and sedative medications like midazolam are used. However, given the acknowledged drawbacks of medications, including the risk of paradoxical reactions to the drug, alternatives to medication for reducing preoperative anxiety in patients may be useful. We aim to compare the use of virtual reality (VR) to midazolam in reducing preoperative anxiety in surgical patients and assess differences in induction compliance, emergence delirium, pain scores, and opioid use in VR vs. midazolam-treated patients. Methods This study was approved by the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Institutional Review Board. First-time surgical patients (N = 36) between the ages of 5 and 11 years undergoing tonsillectomy or tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy procedures were randomly assigned to either receive midazolam (0.5 mg/kg up to 25 mg) or play an interactive underwater-themed game using VR. The Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS) was administered by a single child life specialist preoperatively, and only patients who reached a threshold of >40 on mYPAS scoring were enrolled (scale range: 23 - 100). Additional anxiety measurement was tested using the adult and child State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Midazolam or VR was administered prior to transport to the OR, and mYPAS was scored again at the time of separation from the family. The Induction Compliance Checklist (ICC) was utilized for assessment at the time of anesthesia induction. The VR-treated patients continued use of the VR headset through mask induction. A standardized anesthesia induction protocol was used for all patients. The Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) scale was administered at emergence, postoperatively. Postoperative nurses scored pain and administered IV pain medication as needed. Group means and standard deviations were reported and compared with two-sided t tests. Results Interim results show the mYPAS anxiety scores dropped 20.1 ± 11.7 points following midazolam treatment (p<0.001) and dropped 28.3 ± 7.3 points following VR treatment (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in mYPAS scores between groups following treatment (midazolam = 32.0 ± 4.9; VR = 25.4 ± 4.7; p = 0.04). There were no significant differences between midazolam- and VR-treated groups in the Induction Compliance Checklist, PAED scale, peak postoperative pain scores, and medication use for pain control postoperatively. This study is currently ongoing. Conclusion VR appears to reduce preoperative anxiety similarly to midazolam in anxious first-time surgical pediatric patients. Limitations include patient population. Further studies should be conducted for greater generalizability.

Macroscopic State-Level Analysis of Pavement Roughness Using Time–Space Econometric Modeling Methods

This paper used pavement condition data collected by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) between 2001 and 2006 aggregated by U.S. states to identify macroscopic factors affecting pavement roughness in time and space. To account for prior pavement conditions and preservation expenditure over time, time autocorrelation parameters were introduced in a spatial modeling scheme that accounted for spatial autocorrelation and heterogeneity. The proposed framework accommodates data aggregation in network-level pavement deterioration models. Because pavement roughness across different roadway classes is anticipated to be affected by different explanatory parameters, separate time–space models are estimated for nine roadway classes (rural interstate roads, rural collectors, urban minor arterials, urban principal arterials, and other freeways). The best model specifications revealed that different time–space models were appropriate for pavement performance modeling across the different roadway classes. Factors that were found to affect state-level pavement roughness in time and space included preservation expenditure, predominant soil type, and predominant climatic conditions. The results have the potential to assist governmental agencies in planning effectively for pavement preservation programs at a macroscopic level.

Proposal automatic water purging system for machinery in high humidity environments controlled by an ECU

This paper presents an advanced automatic water discharge system tailored for diesel-powered machinery, particularly for vehicles operating in diverse climates, including humid coastal regions. The system is designed to protect fuel circuits in tanks and diesel engines of boats, offering either automatic or semi-automatic protection against oxidation and corrosion. This enhancement extends the lifespan of diesel components and pipelines while simultaneously reducing maintenance costs and intervention times. Additionally, the system improves fuel purity, resulting in increased engine power and efficiency. The proposed solution was experimentally validated using an Arduino board coupled with a water-sensitive detector in diesel fuel, suitable for installation in diesel filters or tanks. Experimental findings demonstrated a remarkably swift separation time of 150 microseconds for diesel and water at a pressure of 1 bar, achieving an impressive efficiency of 99.84%. The system's rapid and effective separation capability highlights its practical value, particularly in scenarios where efficient water removal is critical to sustaining engine performance and longevity.

Development of a Novel and Rapid LC-MS/MS Method for Measuring Phosphatidylethanol in Whole Blood

Abstract Alcohol consumption can lead to serious health repercussions, including motor impairments and organ failure. Testing for short-term alcohol use is routinely conducted using blood ethanol tests in clinical laboratories. However, there is an emergent need to identify heavy alcohol users, especially crucial for patients undergoing organ transplant evaluations. With the advent of various biomarkers to detect heavy alcohol use, phosphatidyl ethanol (PEth), a group of abnormal phospholipids formed in cell membranes due to alcohol consumption, has gained prominence. PEth has been analyzed in whole blood with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) as two isomers: 18:1 (fatty acid:double bond) and 18:2 (fatty acid:double bond). We have developed an LC-MS/MS method that can detect these isomers in 4.5 minutes at concentrations of 10-500 ng/mL with excellent linearity and precision. In contrast to most LC-MS/MS methods where phospholipids are removed to minimize ion suppression, this method requires retaining phospholipids because the analyte, PEth, is a type of phospholipid. This was achieved through a ‘reverse extraction’ approach using phospholipid removal cartridges. Subsequently, the extracted samples were separated in an Agilent Protoshell 120 HPLC column on a Vanquish UHPLC instrument using 1 mM ammonium formate with 0.2% formic acid in water as Solution A and 50/50 isopropanol/acetonitrile as Solution B. The separation is performed starting at 80% Solution B (rest is Solution A) followed by a gradient elution where Solution B was increased to 95% over 2.3 minutes. Ions were analyzed using a ThermoFisher TSQ Endura MS/MS instrument in the negative mode. Additionally, commercially available whole blood was found to contain detectable levels of PEth in random lots, rendering them unsuitable for use as blank blood in the preparation of calibrators and quality controls. Instead, synthetic was used for this purpose. Ion suppression was observed, and various strategies were attempted to minimize it, including adjusting additives in the mobile phase, extending LC separation times, among others. More details on the impact of these adjustments and their effectiveness in improving the method’s performance will be presented.

Preparation of highly active MgO by carbonate hydrogenation and its application in separation of cobalt and nickel

AbstractAs a significant industrial material, MgO is mainly obtained by the pyrolysis of magnesite (magnesium carbonate) under air conditions, producing large amounts of CO2 and contributing to global warming. In this work, the MgO was prepared using the hydrogenation reduction method. The reaction conditions led to CO2 emissions of <1% and an overall temperature decrease of ~80°C. The highly active MgO prepared by hydrogenation reduction led to a precipitation rate of Co and Ni >99% with a short separation time. Electron paramagnetic resonance, CO2 temperature programmed desorption, and diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy analyses showed that the MgO prepared by hydrogenation contained oxygen vacancies, which improved the alkalinity of the MgO and promoted the precipitation of Ni2+ and Co2+ by adsorption of hydroxyl oxygen to induce water dissociation, thereby enhancing their separation efficiency.

Preparation of the sandwiched PS-SiO2-PVAc-SiO2 electrospinning fiber membrane with super-hydrophobic and self-cleaning and its performance in oil-water emulsion separation

Oil-water emulsion separation could improve the efficiency of oil resources and reduce environmental pollution. The efficiency of oil-water separation was directly affected by the surface hydrophobicity of the membrane and its reliability and reusability. Therefore, the construction of a reliable and reusable super-hydrophobic surface was very important. In this research, the EFM with sandwich structure of PS-SiO2-PVAc-SiO2 was easily fabricated by a three times liquid phase induction process and heat treatment. The PS-SiO2-PVAc-SiO2 EFM was first formed by a triple liquid phase induction process, then the EFM was heat-treated, the PVAc, which is a heat-sensitive material, resulting in SiO2 nanoparticles being welded onto PS fibers. The rolling contact angle experiment at an inclination of 8° proved that the PS-SiO2-PVAc-SiO2 EFM has super-hydrophobic properties. Meanwhile, the PS-SiO2-PVAc-SiO2 EFM showed excellent stability and reliability of super-hydrophobic properties after the EFM was washed or taped. In addition, the PS-SiO2-PVAc-SiO2 EFM had self-cleaning function and fine oil-water separation property. The oil-water separation efficiency was over 99.50 % and the flow rate was 68 L/m2h. After 5 times of oil-water separation, the flux and separation efficiency did not decrease significantly, which proved that the PS-SiO2-PVAc-SiO2 EFM could be reusable.

Information accumulation on the item versus source test of source monitoring: Insights from diffusion modeling.

Source monitoring involves attributing previous experiences (e.g., studied words as items) to their origins (e.g., screen positions as sources). The present study aimed toward a better understanding of temporal aspects of item and source processing. Participants made source decisions for recognized items either in succession (i.e., the standard format) or in separate test blocks providing independent measures of item and source decision speed. Comparable speeds of item and source decision across the test formats would suggest a full separation between item and source processing, whereas different speeds would imply their (partial) temporal overlap. To test these alternatives, we used the drift rate parameter of the diffusion model (Ratcliff, Psychological Review, 85, 59-108, 1978). We examined whether the drift rates, together with the other parameters, assessed separately for the item and source decision varied as a function of the test format. Threshold separation and nondecision time differed between the test formats, but item and source decision speeds represented by drift rates did not change significantly. Thus, despite facilitation on the source decision when the item decision was immediately followed by a test for source memory than when item and source were tested in separate blocks, findings did not suggest that source information already begins accumulating in the item test in the standard format. We discuss the temporal sequence of item and source processing in light of different assumptions about the contribution of familiarity and recollection.

Gender inequality in intergenerational contact after parental separation in the digital era

AbstractObjectiveThe goal of this brief report is to analyze parent‐adult child contact frequency in intact and non‐intact families by focusing on parent and child gender and the type of contact.BackgroundParental separation increases gender differences in parent–child relationships, with separated fathers having less frequent contact with their adult children compared to separated mothers. We investigate whether the father–mother gap in post‐separation contact varies according to parent–child gender mismatch and the type of contact, that is, face‐to‐face, phone, or digital (e.g., via video calls).MethodWe use data on Italian families from the Family and Social Subjects survey to examine parent–child contact frequency among 6770 adult children aged 30–55 (11,041 parent–child dyads). We estimate random and fixed effects models on the probability of having frequent contact with biological parents in intact and non‐intact families (parental separation before age 18).ResultsFathers' reduced contact frequency compared to mothers is particularly evident with daughters, more pronounced in face‐to‐face and phone contact than in digital contact, and greater among younger daughters at the time of separation. Gender differences in phone and digital contact are larger for fathers who have also less frequent face‐to‐face contact compared to mothers.ConclusionWe interpret these findings by focusing on the centrality of mother–daughter ties and the loyalty that children have with the same‐gender parent. We also suggest that different types of contact reinforce gender differences between parents and may lead to a polarization of older parents with “strong” and “weak” family ties.

Changes in Chlamydia trachomatis risk before and after union formation and separation among women of reproductive age.

Not having an established relationship is associated with an elevated risk of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection, but this might reflect selection into and out of unions. Although union formation and union separation are common events in reproductive age, little is known about changes in CT risk before and after these transitions. We linked Finnish Population Register data to the National Register of Infectious Diseases and used fixed-effects linear probability models that account for all time-invariant confounders to examine changes in women's 6-month CT risk 3 years before and 3 years after entry into first cohabitation (n = 293554), non-marital separation (n = 201647) or marital separation (n = 92232) during 2005-14. From 3 years to 1 year before first union formation, the 6-month risk of CT increased slightly, peaking at 1.27% immediately prior to union formation (95% confidence interval 1.22-1.31). It declined sharply following union formation, being only 0.40% (0.34-0.46) 6-12 months after union formation with little changes thereafter. Among women separating from non-marital unions, the risk increased from 0.50% (0.42-0.57) to 1.45% (1.40-1.49) around the time of separation and decreased following separation. The pattern of findings was relatively similar for marital separation, although the observed risks and changes were smaller in magnitude. Our results based on longitudinal data and individual fixed-effects models indicate that the period immediately after separation may be causally associated with an elevated risk of CT. This suggests that recently separated women should be identified as a high-risk group for CT.

A new consecutive high-performance counter-current chromatography approach based on co-current and overlap mode for isolating active compounds from olive leaves

Conventional consecutive separation methods based on overlapping injection modes produce interactions between samples as the separation time increases. This will lead to a reduction in the purity of the target due to the gradual saturation of the stationary phase distribution. To enhance the purity of the sample preparation and separation efficiency, we devised a consecutive separation method under high-performance counter-current chromatography (HPCCC) utilizing co-current elution and overlapping injection. The method was used for the separation and preparation of olive leaves for their main bioactive polyphenolic constituents. Six HPCCC separations were conducted in reversed-phase mode using a two-phase solvent system consisting of petroleum ether/ethyl acetate/water (1:40:40, v/v). Finally, 302.7 mg of luteolin-4’-O-β-D-glucoside and oleuropein were isolated from 720 mg of crude sample with purities of 93.3 % and 96.2 %, respectively. The optimization strategy outlined in this study can be used to enhance the extraction of bioactive components from olive leaves.

Breast Milk Application as a Natural Method for Umbilical Cord Care: A Community-Label 3-Arm Pilot Clinical Trial

Abstract Objective To compare the effects of human breast milk with those of chlorhexidine and the dry method on umbilical cord separation in Ethiopia. Methods This open-label 3-arm nonrandomized pilot clinical trial was conducted among 45 neonates (15 in each arm) with more than 630 home visits. After a standard cord cut, human breast milk, chlorhexidine, or nothing was applied once per day for 7 days. The primary outcome was the duration of cord separation, while the secondary outcomes were umbilical cord infection, neonatal fever, jaundice, feeding and breathing difficulty, and persistent crying. Results There were statistically significant differences in the time-to-cord separation between the human breast milk group and the chlorhexidine (P < 0.001) and dry alone (P = 0.038) groups. Compared to those of chlorhexidine, the rates of cord separation among human breast milk and the dry-alone group were 16.02, with 95% confidence intervals (3.81, 37.43; P < 0.001) and 3.15 (0.99, 10.00; P = 0.052), respectively. One (6.7%) cord site infection was observed in the dry-alone groups only. Conclusion This community-label study indicated that human breast milk application significantly shortened the length of umbilical cord separation time compared to chlorhexidine and dry methods. A large-scale randomized controlled trial is needed to confirm these results. Registration PACTR202310902873290; https://pactr.samrc.ac.za

Ternary Boron Carbon Nitride nanosheets with improved and controllable linear and nonlinear optical response for efficient photocatalytic performance

This work reports the systematic variation of linear and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of ternary boron carbon nitride (BCN) nanosheets with varying carbon concentrations. These nanosheets are synthesized by the thermal substitutional method to modulate the band-gap of BCN nanosheets by varying the hBN and graphene domain ratios which is confirmed through UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. The third-order optical nonlinearity of nanosheets was explored through the Z-scan technique. With increases in both carbon content and laser power, samples' NLO properties have shifted from saturable absorption to reverse saturable absorption. The enhanced nonlinearity with carbon concentration in BCN samples was responsible for higher photoinduced charge separation time. In UV-Vis driven photoreduction of organic pollutants, BCN nanosheets with a decreased bandgap and an increased charge separation time show higher catalytic efficiency. Therefore, based on the combined effect of many processes, the results revealed that the BCN nanosheets displayed greater potential for photoinduced reduction.

Analyzing steady-state equilibria and bifurcations in a time-delayed SIR epidemic model featuring Crowley-Martin incidence and Holling type II treatment rates

This article presents a time-delayed SIR epidemiological model that has been quantitatively examined. The model incorporates a logistic growth function for the susceptible population, a Crowley-Martin type incidence, and Holling type II treatment rates. We investigated two separate time delays. The first delay refers to the rate at which new infections occur, allowing us to evaluate the impact of the latent period. The second delay relates to the rate of treatment for those who have contracted the infection, which allows us to examine the consequences of postponed access to therapy. The investigation of the steady-state behavior of the model emphasizes two equilibria, namely, the infection-free equilibrium and the endemic equilibrium. The determination of critical values involves the use of the fundamental reproduction number, denoted R0, which serves as a predictive measure to determine the potential elimination of a disease within a specific population. Using the fundamental reproduction number, it can be shown that infection-free equilibrium exhibits local asymptotic stability when the value of R0 is less than 1. In contrast, when R0 exceeds 1, the infection-free equilibrium becomes unstable in the context of the time-delayed system. Furthermore, an analysis of the steady-state dynamics of the endemic equilibrium indicates the appearance of oscillations and periodic solutions with the Hopf bifurcation for all feasible combinations of two-time delays as the bifurcated parameter. In sensitivity analysis, a sensitivity index is utilized to evaluate the relative modification in the fundamental reproduction number caused by each parameter. In summary, numerical simulations are employed to offer empirical evidence for the theoretical findings.

Chitosan-based emulsive liquid-liquid microextraction for the determination of strobilurin fungicides in water samples.

Strobilurin fungicides are widely used pesticides globally; however, their residues pose a risk to environmental safety and human health. This study aimed to develop a rapid and green method for detecting strobilurin fungicide residues. Chitosan and magnetic deep eutectic solvent-based emulsive liquid-liquid microextraction method combined with high-performance liquid chromatography was developed to determine strobilurin fungicides in water samples. A high-concentration oil-in-water emulsion containing chitosan solution and extractant was formulated, followed by the addition of samples to form a low-concentration oil-in-water emulsion to complete the rapid pretreatment, therefore solving the limitation of emulsive liquid-liquid microextraction in the inapplicability of extractants. Traditional microextraction required toxic solvents and complex equipment to facilitate the dispersion of extractants, whereas this study used only chitosan solution to aid in emulsifying extractants. The new green magnetic deep eutectic solvent synthesized by tetraoctylammonium bromide, ferric chloride, and oleic acid was used instead of toxic extractants. An external magnetic field assisted the extractant phase collection, which shortened the separation time. Under optimal conditions, the recovery of this method was 83.3 %-107.4 %, the limit of detection was 0.0010-0.0021 mg L-1, and the coefficient of determination was >0.994. This rapid, green, simple, and efficient chitosan-based microextraction method could detect strobilurin fungicide residues in water samples because of its enhanced compatibility with hydrophobicity extractants.

Increasing Ages of Inga punctata Tree Soils Facilitate Greater Fungal Community Abundance and Successional Development, and Efficiency of Microbial Organic Carbon Utilization

Leguminous Inga trees are thought to enhance soil carbon (C) accumulation following reforestation, through mostly unknown mechanisms. This study amplified soil DNA using the ITS1F and ITS4 primers for PCR and Illumina MiSeq methods to identify fungal taxa, and traditional C analysis methods to evaluate how planted 4-, 8-, and 11-year-old Inga punctata trees affected soil fungal community compositions and C utilization patterns compared to old-growth I. punctata trees and an adjacent unplanted pasture within the same reforestation zone in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Along the tree age gradient, the planted I. punctata trees enhanced the tree soil C capture capacity, as indicated by increased levels of soil biomass C, Respiration, and efficiency of organic C use (with lower qCO2 values), and development of increasingly more abundant, stable, and successionally developed fungal communities, including those associated with the decomposition of complex organic C compounds. The level and strength of differences coincided with differences in the time of separation between the pasture and tree age or between the different tree ages. Fungal taxa were also identified as potential indicators of the early and late stages of soil recovery. Thus, planting I. punctata should be part of future reforestation strategies used in this region of the Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica.

Data-Independent Acquisition Shortens the Analytical Window of Single-Cell Proteomics to Fifteen Minutes in Capillary Electrophoresis Mass Spectrometry.

Separation in single-cell mass spectrometry (MS) improves molecular coverage and quantification; however, it also elongates measurements, thus limiting analytical throughput to study large populations of cells. Here, we advance the speed of bottom-up proteomics by capillary electrophoresis (CE) high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) for single-cell proteomics. We adjust the applied electrophoresis potential to readily control the duration of electrophoresis. On the HeLa proteome standard, shorter separation times curbed proteome detection using data-dependent acquisition (DDA) but not data-independent acquisition (DIA) on an Orbitrap analyzer. This DIA method identified 1161 proteins vs 401 proteins by the reference DDA within a 15 min effective separation from single HeLa-cell-equivalent (∼200 pg) proteome digests. Label-free quantification found these exclusively DIA-identified proteins in the lower domain of the concentration range, revealing sensitivity improvement. The approach also significantly advanced the reproducibility of quantification, where ∼76% of the DIA-quantified proteins had <20% coefficient of variation vs ∼43% by DDA. As a proof of principle, the method allowed us to quantify 1242 proteins in subcellular niches in a single, neural-tissue fated cell in the live Xenopus laevis (frog) embryo, including many canonical components of organelles. DIA integration enhanced throughput by ∼2-4 fold and sensitivity by a factor of ∼3 in single-cell (subcellular) CE-MS proteomics.

Scheduling a two-stage assembly problem with separated setup time to minimise total tardiness

The two-stage assembly scheduling problem (TASP) is widely existed in our real-life. Minimising the total tardiness of all jobs is important for increasing customers’ satisfaction. Although a few researchers have focused on such optimisation criterion, the performance of proposed algorithms depends on four or more fine-tuned parameters. This work focuses on TASPs with separated setup time. There are multiple and one machine at stages one and two, respectively. A branch and bound algorithm and a variable neighbourhood search (VNS) are proposed to minimise the total tardiness of all jobs. Both of them contain only one parameter, i.e. maximum CPU time, which needs no turning. In order to guide the search of the branch and bound algorithm, lower and upper bounds and dominance rules are proposed. In order to avoid VNS falling into local optima, three neighbourhoods and a novel shaking subroutine are proposed. Experimental results show that the proposed VNS outperforms all existing algorithms on thousands of large scale TASPs generated randomly. Branch and bound algorithm can not only ensure the optimal schedule for small scale TASPs but also enhance the search ability of the proposed VNS to some extent.

Less smartphone and more physical activity for a better work satisfaction, motivation, work-life balance, and mental health: An experimental intervention study

Employees' work satisfaction and mental health are crucial for an organization's productivity. The current experimental study on employees (Ntotal = 278) from different professional sectors and workplaces in Germany investigated how to improve both by changes of daily non-work-related smartphone use time and physical activity time. For one week, the smartphone group (N = 73) reduced its daily smartphone use by one hour, the physical activity group (N = 69) increased its daily physical activity by 30 minutes, the combination group (N = 72) followed both interventions, the control group (N = 64) did not change its behavior. Online surveys assessed work-related and mental health-related variables at three measurement time points (baseline; post-intervention; two-week follow-up). The reduction of smartphone use time and the combination of both interventions increased work satisfaction, work motivation, work-life balance, and positive mental health significantly; experience of work overload and problematic smartphone use significantly decreased. All interventions decreased depressive symptoms and enhanced sense of control significantly. Following the present findings, a conscious and controlled reduction of non-work-related smartphone use time and its combination with more physical activity could improve employees' work satisfaction and mental health in the organizational context either as an addition to established training programs or as a separate time- and cost-efficient low threshold program.

The relationship between tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion on transesophageal echocardiography and the incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery: a multicenter prospective cohort study

BackgroundTo date, the relationship between the Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) monitoring indicator tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and the incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting(CABG) patients remains unknown. The main objective of this study was to explore the relationship between the TAPSE and the incidence of AKI in CABG patients.MethodsThis was a multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted between September 2021 and July 2022. Among 266 patients aged at least 18 years who underwent elective CABG, 140 were included.ResultsWe measured TAPSE via M-mode TEE via the mid-esophageal (ME) right ventricle(RV) inflow-outflow view (60°). All echocardiographic measurements were performed three separate times at each time point: T0 (before the start of CABG), T2 (approximately 5 ∼ 10 min after neutralization of protamine) and T3 (before leaving the operating room), and then averaged. Serum creatinine was measured 1 day before and within 7 days after CABG. There was no statistically significant association between the TEE-monitoring indicator TAPSE and the incidence of postoperative AKI in patients who underwent CABG.ConclusionsThe TAPSE was not significantly correlated with postoperative AKI incidence and could not predict the early occurrence of postoperative AKI in CABG patients. TEE needs more evaluation for clinical efficacy of predicting the early occurrence of postoperative AKI in isolated CABG.