Virtual Center Research Articles

5-axis virtual machine tool centre building in PLM environment

5-axis virtual machine tool centre building in PLM environment

Enhancing the Implementation of the Virtual Pediatric Trauma Center Using Practical, Robust, Implementation and Sustainability Model: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Background:This article describes factors related to adoption, implementation, and effectiveness of the Virtual Pediatric Trauma Center intervention, which uses telehealth for trauma specialist consultations for seriously injured children. We aimed at (1) measuring RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) implementation outcomes and (2) identifying PRISM (Practical, Robust, Implementation, and Sustainability Model) contextual factors that influenced the implementation outcomes.Methods:This interim implementation evaluation of our telehealth trial used a convergent mixed-methods design. The quantitative component was a cross-sectional analysis of pediatric trauma encounters using electronic health records. The qualitative component was a thematic analysis of written and verbal feedback from providers and family advisory board meetings. We compared the quantitative and qualitative data by synthesizing them in a joint display table, organized by RE-AIM dimensions. We categorized these key findings into the PRISM domains.Results:During the first 10 months of this trial, 246 subjects were randomized, with 177 assigned to standard care and 69 assigned to telehealth. Four referring sites transitioned from standard care into their intervention period. PRISM contextual factors that influenced RE-AIM implementation outcomes included the following findings: Providers struggle to remember, interpret, and navigate intervention workflows; providers have preconceived ideas about the intervention purpose; the intervention mitigates parents' anxieties about the transfer process.Discussion:This study revealed implementation challenges that influence the overall success of this telehealth trial. Early identification of these challenges allows our team the opportunity to address them now to optimize the intervention reach, adoption, and implementation. This early action will ultimately enhance the success of our trial and the ability of our intervention to achieve broad impact.

The importance of training in social organizations’ due to COVID-19 pandemic challenges

This work presents the grounding behind ongoing research. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, declared by World Health Organization, being the Residential Structures for the Elderly confined, the workers in solitary confinement, and the elderly without any visits, we started this research which aims to assess the effects of online training and activities, mainly on reducing the stress levels of workers and elderly, the loneliness feeling among the elderly, and the workers’ engagement. Using technologies, and with the contributions from a multidisciplinary team, we built some resources to minimize the pandemic effects in seniors and workers of Residential Structures for the Elderly. All the materials were placed in a document repository created for the purpose, so they could be accessed whenever necessary, especially at a time that could ease the heavy task experienced by workers in these structures and when it was possible to accompany the residents, as some tasks require assistance and instruction in their accomplishment. The research project team, which has been running since March 2020, intends that in 2021 this project becomes a virtual resource center, available for all national social organizations, after carrying out all the proposed and verified changes by the analysis of the protocol built for this purpose. This project will be a repository for good practices, offering a set of tools and activities, recorded and in real time, available for all the organizations in the social sector, but above all for most isolated and with the least economic resources.

Virtual Simulation of Intraoperative Decision-Making for Open Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair: A Mixed Methods Analysis

Study designMulticenter simulation training using an explanatory sequential mixed methods study.Key findingsA total of 17 vascular and general surgery trainees and 6 vascular surgery faculty participated in an online virtual simulation of major decision making during open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Of the 23 participants, 93% reported feeling they were making real intraoperative decisions, 85% stated it had added to their knowledge base, and 96% requested additional simulations. Several themes emerged from the results of a questionnaire, including the benefits of virtual learning to standardize the training experience and how managing the unexpected as a trainee is an important part of surgical education growth.ConclusionOperative simulation training should focus on both technical skills and intraoperative decision-making, especially when encountering the unexpected. The learners' responses indicated that this virtual platform can allow for intraoperative decision-making practice in a remote learning environment.CommentaryThis study examined the value of simulated intraoperative decision-making, which tackles a problem that seems more amenable to virtual training. I still wonder whether performing one arteriovenous fistula anastomosis in a real patient would be more beneficial to a trainee than performing 10 virtual simulation anastomoses using a piece of plastic tubing. I question whether performing one open aortic anastomosis to an alternately calcified and friable aorta is more beneficial than performing 10 virtual simulation anastomoses in a model that reminded me of a rubber chicken when I participated in a session. I am still not sure that mandatory virtual simulation training is necessary or even advantageous for all vascular training centers, especially if the afternoon spent in a simulation training center performing an anastomosis to a plastic tube or rubber chicken means the trainee will miss participating in a couple of real cases with real patients.Nonetheless, the Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery and other vascular groups have emphasized the value of virtual simulation training for several years. The reality is that the level of experience has been decreasing, often to an unacceptable level, for performing certain open vascular operations, especially aortic surgery, among our trainees. The two most likely solutions for vascular trainees are simulation training or establishing centers of excellence, at which high-volume cases are performed and to which trainees can rotate.Take-home messageIn the past, I have urged caution about adopting vascular trainee learning strategies such as virtual simulation training or centers of excellence, but the future is now. Study designMulticenter simulation training using an explanatory sequential mixed methods study. Multicenter simulation training using an explanatory sequential mixed methods study. Key findingsA total of 17 vascular and general surgery trainees and 6 vascular surgery faculty participated in an online virtual simulation of major decision making during open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Of the 23 participants, 93% reported feeling they were making real intraoperative decisions, 85% stated it had added to their knowledge base, and 96% requested additional simulations. Several themes emerged from the results of a questionnaire, including the benefits of virtual learning to standardize the training experience and how managing the unexpected as a trainee is an important part of surgical education growth. A total of 17 vascular and general surgery trainees and 6 vascular surgery faculty participated in an online virtual simulation of major decision making during open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Of the 23 participants, 93% reported feeling they were making real intraoperative decisions, 85% stated it had added to their knowledge base, and 96% requested additional simulations. Several themes emerged from the results of a questionnaire, including the benefits of virtual learning to standardize the training experience and how managing the unexpected as a trainee is an important part of surgical education growth. ConclusionOperative simulation training should focus on both technical skills and intraoperative decision-making, especially when encountering the unexpected. The learners' responses indicated that this virtual platform can allow for intraoperative decision-making practice in a remote learning environment. Operative simulation training should focus on both technical skills and intraoperative decision-making, especially when encountering the unexpected. The learners' responses indicated that this virtual platform can allow for intraoperative decision-making practice in a remote learning environment.

Impact of Remote Patient Monitoring on Length of Stay for Patients with COVID-19.

Background: Remote patient monitoring (RPM) can be deployed as part of a tiered approach to open up hospital bed availability by allowing earlier discharge of patients with continued virtual monitoring. We describe the impact of RPM on length of stay (LOS) for patients with COVID-19. Methods: We deployed RPM during two COVID-19 surges at a tertiary academic hospital from March to June 2020 as a feasibility pilot to establish the infrastructure for RPM including electronic health record changes and virtual health center (VHC) protocols, and October 2020 to February 2021, during the second surge of COVID-19. Discharging patients received a wearable vital sign monitoring device, allowing real-time data transmission to the VHC using a smart phone application. The data, monitored 24 h a day for 8 days by a technician, had built-in escalation protocols to nurses and/or attending physicians. Results: We compared patients discharged with RPM with those discharged without RPM during both phases using a two-to-one-matched case-control design including age, sex, Charlson comorbidity index, and limited English proficiency. After including discharge with home oxygen therapy as an effect modifier, there was a significant association between shorter LOS and RPM for patients discharging without home oxygen (p = 0.0075) compared with patients not discharging on RPM. Discussion: Our study shows a strong association between a reduction in LOS for patients discharging with RPM but without home oxygen therapy, which can assist with hospital capacity. Conclusions: Home telemonitoring after discharge for patients with COVID-19 may reduce LOS.

REGIONALY IMPORTANT SINCRO.GRID SMART GRID PROJECT

Regional transmission and distribution challenges has evolved and changed a lot in recent years. Four contradictory influences increasingly affected the operations of Slovenian and Croatian electricity systems. Regional electricity systems experienced increasing support of RES integration to meet the EU targets, a lower electricity consumption due to the economic crisis, a growing lack of centralized electricity production for electric system support and the high interconnectivity between the neighboring control zones. TSOs and DSOs observed growing network overvoltage issues as well as a decrease in secondary reserve capacities. Such situation starts to impact national and regional renewable integration targets affecting the security of supply at European level. SINCRO.GRID joint investment project addressed the above-mentioned issues in a sustainable manner. Such cross-border systemic approach will bring synergetic benefits. It will enable an acceptable level of security of operation for at least the next ten years hosting levels of RES in line with the trends foreseen to reach the 2030 targets safely. The project is going to integrate new active elements in the transmission and distribution grids. It leans on the following main pillars: deployment of six compensation devices, deployment of advanced dynamic thermal rating (DTR) systems, deployment of electricity storage systems, integration of distributed renewable generation (DG) and deployment of a virtual cross-border control center (VCBCC). A key aspect of the SINCRO.GRID project lies in the synergy brought by the simultaneous innovative deployment of a portfolio of mature technology-based solutions bring high benefits and positive externalities for the region and European Union.

Findings From Talking Tech: A Technology Training Pilot Intervention to Reduce Loneliness and Social Isolation Among Homebound Older Adults.

Background and ObjectivesSocial isolation and loneliness are common among older adults and associated with negative health outcomes including cognitive decline, depression, suicide ideation, and mortality. Information and communication technology interventions are often used to combat loneliness and social isolation; however, homebound older adults face barriers to access. This study reports findings from a novel pilot intervention, called Talking Tech, designed to reduce loneliness and social isolation in homebound older adults by providing one-on-one, in-home technology training, a tablet, and the internet, to promote digital literacy and participation in a virtual senior center.Research Design and MethodsTwenty-one homebound older adults participated in this 14-week, volunteer-delivered program. We used qualitative interviews with participants, volunteers, and program staff, weekly progress reports from volunteers, and quantitative pre- and postintervention surveys with participants to examine experiences and to evaluate the impact of the intervention on loneliness and social isolation. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis and pre- and postintervention survey data were compared.ResultsParticipants reported increased technological literacy and use, increased access to online activities, and improved facilitation of social connections to existing and new networks. Additionally, during interviews, many participants reported that participating in Talking Tech alleviated their loneliness. While not statistically significant, our quantitative analysis revealed trends toward decreased participant feelings of loneliness and increased technology use. Additionally, intervention adoption and retention were high, with only one participant withdrawing from the intervention.Discussion and ImplicationsThis evaluation of the novel Talking Tech pilot intervention provides critical insights into strategies to reduce loneliness and isolation for older adults, with implications for future research, policy, and practice. Findings demonstrate that individualized technology training may be an acceptable way to improve well-being for homebound older adults.

0381 High levels of patient engagement with a novel sleep telehealth platform in the US military

Abstract Introduction Despite very high prevalence and documented adverse consequences of insufficient and disturbed sleep in the US military, there are well-recognized barriers limiting access to evidence-based sleep interventions within the military health system (MHS). Chief among these is an insufficient number of trained sleep specialists and sleep centers. As part of a larger implementation effort, the purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate patient engagement with a novel sleep telehealth platform at a busy military treatment facility. Methods The sleep telehealth platform consists of an online web portal for patients and providers, a secure mobile app, and integrated wearable sensors using an off the shelf commercial solution (COTS; in this study, Fitbit). The purposes of this platform are to 1) help primary care managers (PCMs) assess sleep complaints, 2) empower patients and PCMs to make evidence-based sleep treatment decisions, 3) deliver evidence-based behavioral sleep treatments via mobile devices, and 4) connect patients with sleep specialists in virtual or physical sleep centers. Participants were recruited from the Internal Medicine clinic and the Sleep Disorders Center at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC). Inclusion criteria included ages of 18-75 years and self or provider referral for sleep problems, including insufficient sleep duration. In addition to wearing the COTS sleep tracker, participants completed a baseline assessment and 2x/daily diaries for ten days, and a brief satisfaction survey. Results Participants included 35 patients (57% female, mean age=44.7 years). One hundred percent of participants wore the COTS sleep tracker and completed the post-monitoring assessment. Satisfaction survey results indicated that 96.7% of participants found completing the 10-day continuous sleep monitoring assessments to be “easy” or “very easy,” and 96.7% of those who completed the monitoring expressed a preference for app-based sleep treatment either alone or in conjunction with virtual or in person care. Finally, participants offered suggestions to optimize the app and platform for pending clinical implementation. Conclusion Results of this pilot study demonstrate high levels of patient engagement with the sleep telehealth platform. Given the large number of patients seeking treatment and the shortage of trained specialist providers, sleep telehealth is a promising pathway to increase access to evidence-based care. Support (If Any) This research was supported by an investigator-initiated research award from the Department of Defense (via the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium) to the University of Maryland, Baltimore (PI: EMW).

Decentralized Coordination Dispatch Model Based on Chaotic Mutation Harris Hawks Optimization Algorithm

Aiming at the economic dispatch problem for an interconnected system with wind power integration, and in order to realize the goals of system economy and improvement of the cross-regional consumption level of wind energy, a decentralized coordination dispatch model is established in this paper. In this model, a DC tie-line is cut by the branch cutting method and used as a coupling variable. A virtual upper-level dispatch center is established, and the economic dispatch problem to be solved is decomposed into a master optimization problem for the upper-level dispatch center and subsidiary optimization problems for the lower-level dispatch centers. For solving this model, an improved Harris hawks optimization (HHO) algorithm called the chaotic mutation Harris hawks optimization (CMHHO) algorithm is proposed. In the CMHHO algorithm, tent mapping and the “DE/pbad-to-pbest/1” strategy are introduced, and a new nonlinear escape energy factor adjustment is proposed. Through an algorithm comparison experiment and a simulation experiment with two examples, the superiority of the CMHHO algorithm, the effectiveness of the proposed model and the applicability of the CMHHO algorithm to the proposed model are verified. The model proposed is of great significance for solving the economic dispatch problem for an interconnected system with wind power integration.

A Study on the Effectiveness of Rumor Control via Social Media Networks to Alleviate Public Panic About COVID-19.

The COVID-19 outbreak triggered a massive spread of unverified news on social media and has become a source of rumors. This paper studies the impact of a virtual rumor control center (RCC) on Weibo user behavior. The collected COVID-19 breaking news stories were divided into positive, negative, and neutral categories, while the moderating effect model was used to analyze the influence of anti-rumor on user behavior (forwarding, liking, and commenting). Our research found that rumor refuting does not directly affect user behavior but does have an indirect moderating effect. Rumor refuting has a profound impact on user forwarding behavior in cases of positive and negative news. Specifically, when the epidemic becomes more serious, the role of rumor refuting becomes critical, and vice versa. Refuting rumors reduces user willingness to forward positive or negative news, with more impact on negative news. Time lag analysis shows a significant moderation of unverified news within 72 h of refuting rumors but indicated an apparent weakening trend over time. Furthermore, we discovered non-linear feature and counter-cyclical phenomena in the moderating effect of rumor refutation.

An innovative distributed self-organizing control of unmanned surface vehicle swarm with collision avoidance

In this paper, a novel distributed self-organizing control of swarm is proposed for multiple underactuated surface vehicles (USVs) under the environment of irregular obstacles and complex unknown disturbances. An innovative method to deal with irregular obstacles by discretizing the boundary of obstacles is introduced, combining with artificial potential field (APF) method, it can achieve more reasonable collision avoidance of irregular obstacles. A virtual center point of swarm (CPS) is designed to make USVs follow the desired path, while the self-organization swarm strategy has more flexible response when encountering obstacles. Meanwhile, in order to compensate the uncertainty dynamics, the neural network (NN) approximation is used to estimate the ocean disturbance and model uncertainty. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.

The NASA Multi-Messenger Astrophysics Science Support Center (MOSSAIC)

The era of Multi-messenger astrophysics has arrived, leading to key new discoveries and revealing a need for coordination, collaboration, and communication between world-wide communities using ground and space-based facilities. To fill these critical needs, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Marshall Space Flight Center are jointly proposing to establish a virtual Multi-Messenger Astrophysics Science Support Center that focuses entirely on community-directed services. In this article, we describe the baseline plan for the virtual Support Center which will position the community and NASA as an Agency to extract maximum science from multi-messenger events, leading to new breakthroughs and fostering increased coordination and collaboration.

Digitalization Potential in Production Sphere

Global virtualization of production, new challenges and goals of society informatization made today’s production companies change their own production processes in order to retain competitiveness on market. Standard approaches to production management now cannot guarantee stable profitability of business. The concept of smartproduction and wise factories targets at integration of people, information and value chains in one network. It can provide a new impulse to labour productivity, predetermine new opportunities for improving the work efficiency. Today’s foreign and home literature shows academic interest in new production technologies. In spite of various trends and approaches to the subject, principle priorities of advanced smart production processes have not been revealed adequately, which proves the necessity to continue research in this field. The article substantiates the demand for production process digitalization at Russian enterprises. Possibilities of using artificial intellect and introducing smart-production in industry are studied. Priorities of the advanced Russian production companies in the field of digitalization were highlighted: wider use of cloud technologies; predictive analysis; IaaS-services, i. e. virtual centers of data processing and systems of data storage; centralized dispatcher control and data collection (SCADA) and others. The author characterizes parameters of monitoring development of smart production systems on the territory of the Russian Federation, which has been carried out by Rosstat since 2020. The forecast data on assessing the required resources in respect to support tools on behalf of state were shown, aimed at developing technologies of smart production. Target indicators of developing smart technologies were identified within the frames of the federal project ‘Digital Technologies’. The author systematized science-intensive technological innovations, non-standard solutions and advanced tools of managing production systems, specified target indicators of principle technological trends in smart-production development and substantiated lines in the development of smart-potential of Russian industry.

Distributed Optimization Algorithm for Multi-Robot Formation with Virtual Reference Center

In this letter, we use a distributed optimization approach to solve a class of multi-robot formation problem with virtual reference center. We investigate the design and analysis of the constrained consensus algorithm to solve the optimization problem with a sum of objective functions with some local constraints. In the multi-robot system with virtual reference center, each robot has messages on its own constraints and objective function, as well as the message about the formation that interacts with the virtual reference center. At the same time, all the robots collaborate to find the minimum value of the function defined by the formation. To find the optimal formation, we propose an algorithm with fixed step size with better performance. In addition, we use a combination of the Hungarian assignment algorithm and the proposed formation algorithm to get the optimal matching formation of the multi-robot system.

Joint optimization scheme based on beam selection and interference cancellation in lens millimeter wave NOMA systems

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has been integrated in millimeter-wave (mmWave) Massive MIMO systems to further enhance the spectrum efficiency, but NOMA has not been fully considered in lens mmWave systems. The fusion of these two technologies requires the joint design of beam selection and interference cancellation. In addition, when users follow the spatial cluster distribution, although the user clustering schemes based on K-means algorithm have been applied, the influence of the virtual and actual cluster center users on achievable sum rate has not been differentiated and analyzed in detail. To solve the above problems, a joint optimization scheme is proposed to maximize the achievable sum rate. The optimization problem is NP-hard, which is solved by using the divide-and-conquer approach. Concretely, based on the signal power loss analysis of directional deviation, a beam selection algorithm is designed for inter-cluster interference cancellation based on the K-means algorithm. Further for intra-cluster interference cancellation, a power allocation algorithm based on the bisection method is designed to guarantee the fairness of users in each cluster. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme offers a significant performance improvement in terms of both achievable sum rate and energy efficiency, and it is suitable for the large-scale user scenario due to its low complexity.

“Our Voices Matter”: The Learner Profile of UTech, Jamaica Students and Implications for a Virtual Self-Access Learning Centre

Since the establishment of the Self-Access Learning Centre (SALC) at the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech, Ja.), students, particularly those enrolled in academic writing modules, have been utilising it to improve their communicative competence. However, the centre has recently encountered various challenges, chief among which are the lack of resources and restricted access to students, pushing the centre to the brink of obsolescence. This led to a revisioning of the centre, a central part of which is the creation of a virtual learner-driven SALC that focuses on the key areas in English and writing that students find challenging. For such a centre to be effective, it needs to be founded on students’ demographic, psychographic and behavioural traits. Using the results of a cross-sectional survey of 278 UTech, Ja. students, we present a learner profile of the typical student and the implications of such a profile for the creation of the virtual SALC. The results reveal that the typical student is teacher-dependent, extrinsically motivated and possesses low levels of academic exertion, low capacities for independent work and high levels of technology consumption. Based on this profile, heavy use of images, games and gamification elements, auto-rated activities, and interactive tutorials are central to the VSALC.

Calibration of beam vector deviation for four-axis precision on-machine measurement using chromatic confocal probe

On-machine measurement based on chromatic confocal principle is an effective method for quality control in precision manufacturing. However, angular misalignment between the measurement axis and the optical axis of probe will introduce cosine error, and the probe offset will cause rotational deviation. These alignment errors, which negatively affect measurement accuracy, are represented by beam vector deviations. In this paper, the influence of the beam vector deviation is first quantitatively analyzed. Then, an effective calibration method using standrad parts is proposed. The accuracy of the calibration method is verified by measuring standard sphere profile, and the uncertainty considering indication error, random error, sampling strategy and fitting optimization algorithm is evaluated. The feasibility of the proposed method is demonstrated by practical on-machine measurement experiments of a typical high-gradient freeform surface. Trajectory deviation is corrected based on virtual rotation center planning. The results agree well with offline measurements.

Construction of Rail Transit Signal and Control Virtual Teaching and Research Center

In view of the contradiction between the large demand for rail transit signal and control talents and the lack of professional teachers as well as the urgent need to improve the training quality of professional talents, the construction of rail transit signal and control virtual teaching and research center is carried out through interschool and school-enterprise joint ventures, so as to meet the needs of professional talent training. Taking the rail transit signal and control specialty of Lanzhou Jiaotong University as an example, this paper discusses the construction connotation, content, and characteristics of virtual teaching and research center to provide reference for the construction of professional virtual teaching and research center.

Continuum of Care: Positioning of the Virtual Hospital.

IntroductionPatients with multiple chronic diseases suffer from reduced life expectancy. Care for these patients is often divided over multiple healthcare professionals. eHealth might help to integrate care for these patients and create a continuum. It is the primary purpose of this paper to describe an intervention that integrates first, second, and third line care in patients with multiple chronic conditions using remote monitoring, remote therapy and data automatization, all integrated in a virtual care center (VCC).MethodsPatients diagnosed with three or more chronic conditions are included and given smartphone compatible devices for remote monitoring and a tablet for video consultations. Patients will be followed-up by the VCC, consisting of nurses who will coordinate care, supervised by general practitioners and medical specialists. Data is reviewed on a daily basis and patients are contacted on a weekly basis. Review of data is automated by computer algorithms. Patients are contacted in case of outcome abnormalities in the data. Patients can contact the VCC at any time. Follow-up of the study is 1 year.ResultsThe primary outcome of this study is the median number of nights admitted to the hospital per patient compared to the hospitalization data 12 months before enrolment. Secondary outcomes include all-cause mortality, event free survival, quality of life and satisfaction with technology and care.ConclusionThis study presents the concept of a VCC that integrates first, second, and third line care into a virtual ward using remote monitoring and video consultation.

Development of a Virtual Integrative Oncology Center

Development of a Virtual Integrative Oncology Center