articles+ search results

Humans, Vision, Ocular, Macula Lutea physiology, and Vision, Entoptic

Entoptic phenomena are visual artifacts arising from the interaction of light with the specific anatomic structure of the human eye. While they are usually too subtle to actually enable additional visual abilities, their perception can provide indirect information on the physiological conditions of the visual system. Among the most famous ones, Haidinger's brushes consist in the appearance of a yellowish bow tie perceived in the presence of linearly polarized white light and originate from the particular spatial distribution of dichroic carotenoid molecules forming a sort of embedded radial polarizer in the foveal region. In this work, we develop a compact and versatile optical setup for the psychophysical analysis of the perceptual threshold of such entoptic effect. The tests performed on a group of 113 healthy individuals under conditions of maximum contrast (blue light) reveal the capability to perceive an average polarization degree around 16%. The developed prototype outlines a new optical platform to train the users in the perception of the phenomenon and infer information on the polarization-degree sensitivity of the human visual system.
(Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Electrodes, Ion-Selective Electrodes, Ions, Potassium, Potentiometry, Printing, Three-Dimensional, Sodium, Internet of Things, and Robotics

We report automated fabrication of solid-contact sodium-selective (Na + -ISEs) and potassium-selective electrodes (K + -ISEs) using a 3D printed liquid handling robot controlled with Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The printing system is affordable and can be customized for the use with micropipettes for applications such as drop-casting, biological assays, sample preparation, rinsing, cell culture, and online analyte monitoring using multi-well plates. The robot is more compact (25 × 30 × 35 cm) and user-friendly than commercially available systems and does not require mechatronic experience. For fabrication of ion-selective electrodes, a carbon black intermediate layer and ion-selective membrane were successively drop-cast on the surface of stencil-printed carbon electrode using the dispensing robot. The 3D-printed robot increased ISE robustness while decreasing the modification time by eliminating manual steps. The Na + -ISEs and K + -ISEs were characterized for their potentiometric responses using a custom-made, low-cost (<$25) multi-channel smartphone-based potentiometer capable of signal processing and wireless data transmission. The electrodes showed Nernstian responses of 58.2 ± 2.6 mV decade -1 and 56.1 ± 0.7 mV decade -1 for Na + and K + , respectively with an LOD of 1.0 × 10 -5  M. We successfully applied the ISEs for multiplexed detection of Na + and K + in urine and artificial sweat samples at clinically relevant concentration ranges. The 3D-printed pipetting robot cost $100 and will pave the way for more accessible mass production of ISEs for those who cannot afford the expensive commercial robots.
(Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Equipment Design, Phantoms, Imaging, Software, Algorithms, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods

Purpose: An automated algorithm for generating realizable MR gradient and shim coil layouts based on the boundary element method is presented here. The overall goal is to reduce postprocessing effort and thus enable for rapid prototyping of new coil designs. For a given surface mesh and target field, the algorithm generates a connected, non-overlapping wire path.
Methods: The proposed algorithm consists of several steps: Stream function optimization, two-dimensional surface projection, potential discretization, topological contour sorting, opening and interconnecting contours, and finally adding non-overlapping return paths. Several technical parameters such as current strength, inductance and field accuracy are assessed for quality control.
Results: The proposed method is successfully demonstrated in four different examples. All exemplary results demonstrate high accuracy with regard to reaching the respective target field. The optimal discretization for a given stream function is found by generating multiple layouts while varying the input parameter values.
Conclusion: The presented algorithm allows for a rapid generation of interconnected coil layouts with high flexibility and low discretization error. This enables to reduce the overall post-processing effort. The source code of this work is publicly available ( https://github.com/Philipp-MR/CoilGen).
(© 2022 The Authors. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)

Animals, Aquaculture, Ergonomics methods, Farmers, Feasibility Studies, Humans, Pilot Projects, Seafood, Bivalvia, Low Back Pain therapy, Occupational Diseases prevention control, and Self-Management

Objectives. Lower back pain (LBP) is extremely prevalent in seafood harvesters who often have limited or no access to ergonomic consultation, occupational health support and rehabilitation services. This pilot study aimed to describe a participatory ergonomic approach and determine the feasibility and extent of adoption of self-management strategies in clam farmers with LBP. Methods. A rapid prototype participatory ergonomic approach was used to develop context-specific self-management strategies. Options to adjust lifting and repetitive stress were introduced using video clips, demonstrations and discussions in the workplace. Workers chose and implemented three strategies for 8 weeks with weekly reminders. Survey and qualitative data from focus groups were analyzed. Results. Team strategies were the most popular, but individual options were used more often. Strategies were considered feasible, acceptable and relatively easy to use. Strategies were implemented relatively consistently, and most improved productivity with decreased pain. Challenges for uptake included changing habit, culture and team dynamics. Conclusions. Participatory rapid prototyping provided a feasible and efficient option to introduce strategies for clam farmers with small teams, variable work processes and workloads, and time restrictions. Strategies were considered acceptable and easy to use, and most increased productivity. These methods show potential for future research.

Humans, Workflow, Imaging, Three-Dimensional methods, and Palate

Background: The introduction in the orthodontic field of the digital workflow for guided insertion of palatal TADs and the development of the 1-visit protocol led to the reduction of chair time and the possibility of complete customization of designs and materials. Conversely, the reduction of operative steps implicates a lower tolerance of deviations between the planned and the actual position of the miniscrews, particularly when the orthodontic device is fixed on 4 palatal TADs or has a rigid structure. This study aims to analyze the influence of each step of the digital workflow on the deviation of the miniscrews' axis of insertion in a bicortical sample. The null hypothesis is that there are no significant differences in the deviations among the operative steps.
Methods: 33 subjects were selected for insertion of bicortical palatal miniscrews with a 1-visit protocol. Digital files were collected at the three stages of the workflow (i.e., digital planning, laboratory prototype, post-insertion impression). A 3D software analysis was performed on a total of 64 miniscrews. After automatic shape recognition of the guiding holes of the digital plan and the scanbodies of the laboratory prototype and post-insertion impression as geometric cylinders, their three-dimensional longitudinal axis was traced and the deviation among them was calculated. Friedman test with Bonferroni correction was performed to assess the significance of the deviations among the three steps, with significance set at p < 0.05.
Results: The laboratory step has a significantly lower degree of deviations (2.12° ± 1.62) than both the clinical step (6.23° ± 3.75) and the total deviations (5.70° ± 3.42). No significant differences were found between miniscrews inserted on the left or the right side.
Conclusions: This study suggests that laboratory procedures such as surgical guide production or rapid prototyping don't play a significant role in the degree of deviations between the planned and the positioned palatal TADs. Conversely, the clinical steps have a bigger influence and need to be carefully evaluated. Despite this difference, there is a cumulative effect of deviations that can lead to the failure of the 1-visit protocol.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: This work presents an end-to-end open-source MR imaging workflow. It is highly flexible in rapid prototyping across the whole imaging process and integrates vendor-independent openly available tools. The whole workflow can be shared and executed on different MR platforms. It is also integrated in the JEMRIS simulation framework, which makes it possible to generate simulated data from the same sequence that runs on the MRI scanner using the same pipeline for image reconstruction.
Methods: MRI sequences can be designed in Python or JEMRIS using the Pulseq framework, allowing simplified integration of new sequence design tools. During the sequence design process, acquisition metadata required for reconstruction is stored in the MR raw data format. Data acquisition is possible on MRI scanners supported by Pulseq and in simulations through JEMRIS. An image reconstruction and postprocessing pipeline was implemented into a Python server that allows real-time processing of data as it is being acquired. The Berkeley Advanced Reconstruction Toolbox is integrated into this framework for image reconstruction. The reconstruction pipeline supports online integration through a vendor-dependent interface.
Results: The flexibility of the workflow is demonstrated with different examples, containing 3D parallel imaging with controlled aliasing in volumetric parallel imaging (CAIPIRINHA) acceleration, spiral imaging, and B 0 mapping. All sequences, data, and the corresponding processing pipelines are publicly available.
Conclusion: The proposed workflow is highly flexible and allows integration of advanced tools at all stages of the imaging process. All parts of this workflow are open-source, simplifying collaboration across different MR platforms or sites and improving reproducibility of results.
(© 2022 The Authors. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)

The growing use of 3D printing in the biomedical sciences demonstrates its utility for a wide range of research and healthcare applications, including its potential implementation in the discipline of breath analysis to overcome current limitations and substantial costs of commercial breath sampling interfaces. This technical note reports on the design and construction of a 3D-printed mouthpiece adapter for sampling exhaled breath using the commercial respiration collector for in-vitro analysis (ReCIVA) device. The paper presents the design and digital workflow transition of the adapter and its fabrication from three commercial resins (Surgical Guide, Tough v5, and BioMed Clear) using a Formlabs Form 3B stereolithography (SLA) printer. The use of the mouthpiece adapter in conjunction with a pulmonary function filter is appraised in comparison to the conventional commercial silicon facemask sampling interface. Besides its lower cost - investment cost of the printing equipment notwithstanding - the 3D-printed adapter has several benefits, including ensuring breath sampling via the mouth, reducing the likelihood of direct contact of the patient with the breath sampling tubes, and being autoclaveable to enable the repeated use of a single adapter, thereby reducing waste and associated environmental burden compared to current one-way disposable facemasks. The novel adapter for breath sampling presented in this technical note represents an additional field of application for 3D printing that further demonstrates its widespread applicability in biomedicine.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Patients with Bipolar Disorder (BD) report a lower quality of life and lower levels of well-being than the general population. Despite the growing availability of psychotherapeutic and self-management interventions, there are still important unmet needs. These unmet needs are closely linked to positive psychology domains. Although a growing number of studies evaluated the impact of positive psychology interventions (PPIs) on patients with severe mental illness in general, only few addressed the application of positive psychology in BD.
Objective: The current study aimed to gain insight into the opinion of patients with BD and health care professionals about (online) PPIs for BD and to develop and pilot-test an app containing PPIs specifically designed for patients with BD.
Methods: The study was conducted in accordance with the Center for eHealth and Disease Management (CeHRes) roadmap principles and incorporated co-creation and designing for implementation. Data was collected using focus group discussions (FGs), questionnaires, rapid prototyping (RPT), and online feedback on a prototype from the participants. Three FGs were held with eight BD patients and five professionals. The collected data was used to develop a smartphone app containing short PPIs. The content was based on PPIs for which a solid base of evidence is available. Finally, a Pilot Test (PT) was used to test the app.
Results: FGs revealed that positive psychology interventions as part of the current BD treatment could potentially meet the following needs: offering hope, increasing self-esteem, expressing feelings, acceptance, and preventing social isolation. Some patients expressed concern that PPIs may provoke a (hypo)manic episode by increasing positive affect. The pilot test of the app showed that the PPIs are moderate to highly valued by the participants. There were no adverse effects such as an increase of (hypo)manic symptoms.
Conclusions: With the systematic utilisation of user involvement (patients and professionals) in all steps of the development process, we were able to create an app that can potentially fulfil some of the current unmet needs in the treatment of BS. We reached consensus among consumers and professionals about the potential benefits of positive psychology interventions to address unmet needs of BD patients. The use of PPI in BD is intriguing and could be usefully explored in further research. We emphasise that more evaluation studies (quantitative and qualitative) should be carried out that are focused on the effect of PPIs in the treatment of BD. In addition, to establish the working mechanisms in BD, explorative qualitative designed studies are also required to reveal if PPIs indeed can cover unmet needs in BD.

Background: Facial deformities often demand reconstructive surgery and the placement of three-dimensional (3D) printed craniomaxillofacial prostheses. Prostheses manufacturing requires patients' computed tomography (CT) images. Poor quality images result in incorrectly sized prostheses, necessitating repeat imaging and refitting. The Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (CRPM) produces most facial prostheses in South Africa but does not have a prescribed optimised CT protocol. Therefore, this study was undertaken.
Methods: A collection of CRPM STLs used in the design and manufacturing of craniomaxillofacial prostheses is available. The image quality of stereolithography (STL) files of CRPM CT scans was evaluated to determine what constitutes good image quality. This collection was scrutinised for inclusion in the image quality evaluation. After scrutiny, 35 STLs of individuals ≥15 years of age were selected and included metadata attached to the DICOM file. Furthermore, only STLs created without manipulation by the same designer were included in the collection. Before the qualitative evaluation of the STLs, eight different critical anatomical reference points (CARPs) were identified with the assistance of an expert team. A visual acuity rating scale of three categories was devised for each CARP, where 1 was allocated to poor visual acuity, 2 to partial, and 3 to good visual acuity. Similarly, rating scales were devised for the presence of concentric rings and the overall impression score awarded by the two designers involved in the design and manufacturing of the prostheses. This stereolithography measurement rubric (SMR) was then applied to the 35 STLs by a team of three experts, including the two designers, during a structured evaluation session. The scores were used to calculate summary and inferential statistics.
Results: Scores grouped around the central rating of partial visual acuity. The three evaluators' mean total CARP scores ranged from 13.1 to 14.4 (maximum possible score 24), while the mean total CARP + ring scores ranged from 15.8 to 17.1 (maximum possible score 27). No significant differences were detected between the evaluators' scores.
Conclusion: This SMR appears to be the first of its kind. This image quality assessment of STLs provides the groundwork for finer CT image quality evaluation to formulate a CT imaging protocol for the CRPM to design and manufacture accurate internal cranial prostheses.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Navigational strategies create a scenario whereby percutaneous needle-based interventions of the liver can be guided using both pre-interventional 3D imaging datasets and dynamic interventional ultrasound (US). To score how such technologies impact the needle placement process, we performed kinematic analysis on different user groups.
Methods: Using a custom biopsy phantom, three consecutive exercises were performed by both novices and experts (n = 26). The exercise came in three options: (1) US-guidance, (2) US-guidance with pre-interventional image-registration (US + Reg) and (3) US-guidance with pre-interventional image-registration and needle-navigation (US + Reg + Nav). The traveled paths of the needle were digitized in 3D. Using custom software algorithms, kinematic metrics were extracted and related to dexterity, decision making indices to obtain overall performance scores (PS).
Results: Kinematic analysis helped quantifying the visual assessment of the needle trajectories. Compared to US-guidance, novices yielded most improvements using Reg (PS avg(US)  = 0.43 vs. PS avg(US+Reg)  = 0.57 vs. PS avg(US+Reg+Nav)  = 0.51). Interestingly, the expert group yielded a reversed trend (PS avg(US)  = 0.71 vs PS avg(US+Reg)  = 0.58 vs PS avg(US+Reg+Nav)  = 0.59).
Conclusion: Digitizing the movement trajectory allowed us to objectively assess the impact of needle-navigation strategies on percutaneous procedures. In particular, our findings suggest that these advanced technologies have a positive impact on the kinematics derived performance of novices.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)

Ultraviolet (UV) is widely used in daily life as well as in industrial manufacturing. In this study, a single-step postprocess to improve the sensitivity of a graphene-based UV sensor is studied. We leverage the advantage of electric-field-assisted on-demand printing, which is simply applicable for mounting functional polymers onto various structures. Here, the facile printing process creates optical plano-convex geometry by accelerating and colliding a highly viscous droplet on a micropatterned graphene channel. The printed transparent lens refracts UV rays. The concentrated UV photon energy from a wide field of view enhances the photodesorption of electron-hole pairs between the lens and the graphene sensor channel, which is coupled with a large change in resistance. As a result, the one-step post-treatment has about a 4× higher sensitivity compared to bare sensors without the lenses. We verify the applicability of printing and the boosting mechanism by variation of lens dimensions, a series of UV exposure tests, and optical simulation. Moreover, the method contributes to UV sensing in acute angle or low irradiation. In addition, the catalytic lens provides about a 9× higher recovery rate, where water molecules inside the PEI lens deliver fast reassembly of the electron-hole pairs. The presented method with an ultimately simple fabrication step is expected to be applied to academic research and prototyping, including optoelectronic sensors, energy devices, and advanced manufacturing processes.

Analysis, Ergonomic aid, Ergonomics, Artificial intelligence, Artificial intelligence -- Analysis, Ergonomics -- Analysis, Elderly -- Analysis, and Aged -- Analysis

Author(s): Zhen Yu (corresponding author) [1] 1. Introduction Since 2014, China's population aged 60 years and above has been growing, and the aging process in China has accelerated, and the [...]
The ergonomic design study of artificial intelligence lower limb-assisted brace for the elderly is a new design standard of lower limb-assisted brace for the elderly with mobility problems. Based on human factors engineering, this study tested and analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of human lower limb motion mechanics, human gait motion law, and existing lower limb assisted brace design cases at home and abroad and concluded that the common external assisted method is less man-machine efficient than the internal assisted method. Therefore, a new brace joint rotation curvature, component parameters, and other key information were designed based on the structure of the medial assistance method. With the help of the engineering and scientific analysis methods in human factors engineering, the designed machines and systems are made more adaptable to the physiological and psychological characteristics of human beings. This study explores the interaction between humans and machines and the rationality of their mutual integration, which can effectively avoid repetitive strain injuries and other muscle diseases over time for users in the process of assistance and achieve efficiency, health, and safety. Subsequently, Rhino software was used for digital modeling, physical prototyping, experimental testing, and analysis of the design solution and continuous optimization of the design. At the same time, the perceptual engineering design method was utilized to meet the humanized aesthetic design requirements. The prototype of the design study was finally completed, which is more in line with the evaluation criteria of “human-machine-environment system” than the existing market design in terms of functional rationality, human-machine performance, and human experience. This demonstrates the validity of the design method and is an important reference for the design standard of the lower limb support for the elderly.

Magnetic Phenomena, Microscopy, Electron, Scanning, Imaging, Three-Dimensional methods, and Spectrometry, Mass, Secondary Ion

The structural, morphological, and chemical characterization of samples is of utmost importance for a large number of scientific fields. Furthermore, this characterization very often needs to be performed in three dimensions and at length scales down to the nanometer. Therefore, there is a stringent necessity to develop appropriate instrumentational solutions to fulfill these needs. Here we report on the deployment of magnetic sector secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) on a type of instrument widely used for such nanoscale investigations, namely, focused ion beam (FIB)-scanning electron microscopy (SEM) instruments. First, we present the layout of the FIB-SEM-SIMS instrument and address its performance by using specific test samples. The achieved performance can be summarized as follows: an overall secondary ion beam transmission above 40%, a mass resolving power ( M /Δ M ) of more than 400, a detectable mass range from 1 to 400 amu, a lateral resolution in two-dimensional (2D) chemical imaging mode of 15 nm, and a depth resolution of ∼4 nm at 3.0 keV of beam landing energy. Second, we show results (depth profiling, 2D imaging, three-dimensional imaging) obtained in a wide range of areas, such as battery research, photovoltaics, multilayered samples, and life science applications. We hereby highlight the system's versatile capability of conducting high-performance correlative studies in the fields of materials science and life sciences.

Cell-free expression systems provide a suite of tools that are used in applications from sensing to biomanufacturing. One of these applications is genetic circuit prototyping, where the lack of cloning is required and a high degree of control over reaction components and conditions enables rapid testing of design candidates. Many studies have shown utility in the approach for characterizing genetic regulation elements, simple genetic circuit motifs, protein variants or metabolic pathways. However, variability in cell-free expression systems is a known challenge, whether between individuals, laboratories, instruments, or batches of materials. While the issue of variability has begun to be quantified and explored, little effort has been put into understanding the implications of this variability. For genetic circuit prototyping, it is unclear when and how significantly variability in reaction activity will impact qualitative assessments of genetic components, e.g. relative activity between promoters. Here, we explore this question by assessing DNA titrations of seven genetic circuits of increasing complexity using reaction conditions that ostensibly follow the same protocol but vary by person, instrument and material batch. Although the raw activities vary widely between the conditions, by normalizing within each circuit across conditions, reasonably consistent qualitative performance emerges for the simpler circuits. For the most complex case involving expression of three proteins, we observe a departure from this qualitative consistency, offering a provisional cautionary line where normal variability may disrupt reliable reuse of prototyping results. Our results also suggest that a previously described closed loop controller circuit may help to mitigate such variability, encouraging further work to design systems that are robust to variability. Graphical Abstract.
(Published by Oxford University Press 2022. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.)

Face surgery, Fibula, Humans, Maxilla surgery, Surgical Flaps blood supply, and Reconstructive Surgical Procedures methods

Purpose: Midface reconstruction poses a complex set of challenges for reconstructive surgeons. The optimal midface reconstruction must possess a durable underlying bone construct capable of integrating dental implants. Facial contour is restored by the overlying microvascular soft tissue reconstruction with reestablishment of the oral cavity. A plethora of microvascular flaps used in clinical practice have been described including those harvested from the iliac crest, scapula, fibula, forearm and back (latissimus dorsi). The objective was to share our experiences with each of these treatment options that have continued to evolve over time for the benefit of patients.
Methods: Our institution has over three decades of experience in reconstructing complex midface defects and this article summarizes midface reconstruction from an evolutionary perspective (for type II, III and IV defect; Browns classification, Supplementary Table I). We broadly divide this into (i) flaps supplied by the subscapular system (ii) autologous reconstruction with titanium mesh and (iii) fibula microvascular flaps using 3D planning.
Results: The advantages and disadvantages for each approach are discussed (Supplementary Table II).
Conclusion: In the future, it is expected that 3D planning coupled with rapid prototyping, intraoperative navigation and CT imaging will become standard procedural practice.
(© 2022. Crown.)

Biomechanical Phenomena, Electromyography, Humans, Thigh, Walking physiology, Hip, and Muscle, Skeletal physiology

The deep hip muscles are often omitted in studies investigating hip contact forces using neuromusculoskeletal modelling methods. However, recent evidence indicates the deep hip muscles have potential to change the direction of hip contact force and could have relevance for hip contact loading estimates. Further, it is not known whether deep hip muscle excitation patterns can be accurately estimated using neuromusculoskeletal modelling or require measurement (through invasive and time-consuming methods) to inform models used to estimate hip contact forces. We calculated hip contact forces during walking, squatting, and squat-jumping for 17 participants using electromyography (EMG)-informed neuromusculoskeletal modelling with (informed) and without (synthesized) intramuscular EMG for the deep hip muscles (piriformis, obturator internus, quadratus femoris). Hip contact force magnitude and direction, calculated as the angle between hip contact force and vector from femoral head to acetabular center, were compared between configurations using a paired t-test deployed through statistical parametric mapping (P < 0.05). Additionally, root mean square error, correlation coefficients (R 2 ), and timing accuracy between measured and modelled deep hip muscle excitation patterns were computed. No significant between-configuration differences in hip contact force magnitude or direction were found for any task. However, the synthesized method poorly predicted (R 2 -range 0.02-0.3) deep hip muscle excitation patterns for all tasks. Consequently, intramuscular EMG of the deep hip muscles may be unnecessary when estimating hip contact force magnitude or direction using EMG-informed neuromusculoskeletal modelling, though is likely essential for investigations of deep hip muscle function.
(Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Curriculum, Humans, Schools, Medical, Surveys and Questionnaires, Education, Medical, Undergraduate, and Students, Medical psychology

Problem: The extent of medical student unwellness is well documented. Learner distress may impact patient care, workforce adequacy, and learners' performance and personal health. The authors describe the philosophy, structure, and content of the novel REACH (Recognize, Empathize, Allow, Care, Hold each other up) curriculum and provide a preliminary evaluation.
Approach: The REACH curriculum is a mandatory, longitudinal well-being curriculum for first- and second-year medical students at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) designed to prepare them for the emotional life of being a physician. The curriculum uses a framework, core concepts, and skills from the field of trauma stewardship. It builds on effective medical student well-being interventions (e.g., mindfulness-based training) and the sharing of personal stories by instructors during didactic and small-group sessions that are integrated into the regular MCW curriculum. During the first 2 years of implementation (2018-2019 and 2019-2020), the curriculum was evaluated using mid- and postcurriculum student surveys.
Outcomes: Over 700 students have completed the REACH curriculum as of March 2022. Overall, most students who responded to the surveys in 2018-2020 reported that they felt the REACH curriculum material was important, that the curriculum met their expectations for a quality medical school course, and that they would recommend other schools incorporate a similar curriculum. Respondents to the 2019-2020 postcurriculum survey indicated the REACH curriculum helped them develop self-care (84% [85/101]), mindfulness (76% [76/101]), and help-seeking (71% [72/101]) skills.
Next Steps: The initial outcomes show that integrating a mandatory well-being curriculum is feasible and acceptable to medical students. The authors plan to examine the relationships between student-reported well-being metrics, academic and clinical performance data, and professional identity formation. They are also prototyping electronic dashboards that will allow students to interact with their well-being data to promote timely help-seeking and behavior change.
(Copyright © 2022 by the Association of American Medical Colleges.)

Metal patterning via additive manufacturing has been phasing-in to broad applications in many medical, electronics, aerospace, and automotive industries. While previous efforts have produced various promising metal-patterning strategies, their complexity and high cost have limited their practical application in rapid production and prototyping. Herein, a one-step gold printing technique based on anion-assisted photochemical deposition (APD), which can directly print highly conductive gold patterns (1.08 × 10 7 S m -1 ) under ambient conditions without post-annealing treatment, is introduced. Uniquely, the APD uses specific ion effects with projection lithography to pattern Au nanoparticles and simultaneously sinter them into tunable porous gold structures. The significant influence of kosmotropic or chaotropic anions in the precursor ink on tuning the morphologies and conductivities of the printed patterns by employing a series of different ions, including Cl - ions, in the printing process is presented. Additionally, the resistance stabilities and the electrochemical properties of the APD-printed gold patterns are carefully investigated. The high conductivity and excellent conformability of the printed Au electrodes are demonstrated with reliable performance in electrophysiological signal delivery and acquisition for biomedical applications. This work exploits the potential of photochemical-deposition-based metal patterning in flexible electronic manufacturing.
(© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Humans, Phantoms, Imaging, Printing, Three-Dimensional, and Tomography, X-Ray Computed methods

Introduction: Additive production refers to the process of prototyping, which allows the production of highly complex medical devices and products. Interpretation of additive manufacturing (AM) material in Computed Tomography (CT) has not been widely investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the CT number values of commercially available fused deposition modelling (FDM) and stereolithography (SLA) AM materials.
Methods: Total of 15 AM materials, 7 FMD and 8 SLA, were selected and scanned on CT to determine the HU value and appearance on the images. All test object were designed as rectangular blocks and after their production physical description were calculated. AM materials were scanned on CT operating at 80, 100, 120 and 135 kV.
Results: All materials correspond to a certain human tissue and they have uniformity when printed with 100% infill. CT number ranged from a minimum of -188.0 HU to a maximum of 189.1 HU, for FDM materials, and from -15.8 HU to 167.3 HU, for SLA materials.
Conclusion: Knowing the CT number of an AM materials can allow the design of medical or rehabilitation products with a specific appearance on CT images. Analysed and collected data can find application in the design and manufacture of immobilization devices that can be easily distinguished from other materials or human tissue.
Implications for Practice: This study provides information that can be used in the design and fabrication of anthropomorphic diagnostic and therapeutic phantoms. There is significant potential for the use of AM material for sophisticated test objects when used in medical image modality testing. Knowing actual CT numbers of frequently used AM materials allows manufacturing anthropomorphic phantoms to investigate radiation doses in diagnostic radiology and radiotherapy.
(Copyright © 2022 The College of Radiographers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Biopsy, Education, Medical, Graduate methods, Feedback, Female, Humans, Bone Marrow, and Fellowships and Scholarships

Introduction: Hematology/oncology fellows must achieve bone marrow biopsy proficiency. However, opportunities for fellows to perform bone marrow biopsies on patients are highly dependent on clinical volume. An easily accessible and feasible system to practice these procedures repetitively has not been described. Other specialties use 3-dimensional (3D)-printed models to practice procedures, but hematology/oncology has not yet incorporated this novel medical education tool, which has the potential to provide such an accessible and feasible system for procedural practice.
Methods: We used design thinking to develop and pilot a bone marrow biopsy simulation using 3D-printed pelvis models. We printed and optimized 2 models through iterative prototyping. In July 2019, we conducted a 1-hour session with 9 fellows. After an anatomy review, fellows practiced biopsies using the models with faculty feedback. To evaluate feasibility, we reviewed session evaluations, measured fellow comfort, surveyed supervising attendings, and gathered fellow and attending feedback.
Results: Fellows rated the 3D session highly. Fellow comfort improved after orientation. Supervisors noted no difference between the 2019 fellows and prior years. Fellows praised the opportunity to rehearse mechanics, receive feedback, and internalize anatomy. Fellows suggested incorporating a female pelvis and more soft tissue. Attending feedback on the model aligned with fellow feedback. We implemented the session again in 2020 with adjustments based on feedback.
Conclusions: Three-dimensional printing represents an accessible and feasible educational tool. Three-dimensional-printed models provide opportunities for iterative practice, feedback, and anatomy visualization. Future iterations should continue to incorporate user feedback to optimize model utility.
(Copyright © 2021 Society for Simulation in Healthcare.)

There is a massive demand to identify alternative methods to detect new cases of COVID-19 as well as to investigate the epidemiology of the disease. In many countries, importation of commercial kits poses a significant impact on their testing capacity and increases the costs for the public health system. We have developed an ELISA to detect IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 using a recombinant viral nucleocapsid (rN) protein expressed in E. coli . Using a total of 894 clinical samples we showed that the rN-ELISA was able to detect IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 with high sensitivity (97.5%) and specificity (96.3%) when compared to a commercial antibody test. After three external validation studies, we showed that the test accuracy was higher than 90%. The rN-ELISA IgG kit constitutes a convenient and specific method for the large-scale determination of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in human sera with high reliability.
(© 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Alcohols, Polyesters, Dicarboxylic Acids, and Polyurethanes chemistry

To realize the commercialization of sustainable materials, new polymers must be generated and systematically evaluated for material characteristics and end-of-life treatment. Polyester polyols made from renewable monomers have found limited adoption in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) applications, and their broad adoption in manufacturing may be possible with a more detailed understanding of their structure and properties. To this end, we prepared a series of bio-based crystalline and amorphous polyester polyols utilizing azelaic acid and varying branched or non-branched diols. The prepared polyols showed viscosities in the range of 504-781 cP at 70 °C, with resulting TPUs that displayed excellent thermal and mechanical properties. TPUs prepared from crystalline azelate polyester polyol exhibited excellent mechanical properties compared to TPUs prepared from amorphous polyols. These were used to demonstrate prototype products, such as watch bands and cup-shaped forms. Importantly, the prepared TPUs had up to 85% bio-carbon content. Studies such as these will be important for the development of renewable materials that display mechanical properties suitable for commercially viable, sustainable products.

Reaction-bonded silicon carbide (RBSC) has become an important structural ceramic with the benefit of being capable of preparing complex-shaped products. In order to fabricate high-performance RBSC, particle gradation of raw SiC combined with slip casting was used to prepare the porous preform before liquid silicon infiltration (LSI). The microstructural and mechanical properties of RBSC were compared by adding different amounts of carbon black (CB) content from 4 wt% to 10 wt%. Two pore structures with submicron and nano pores formed in the preform. As the amounts of carbon black increased, the mechanical properties improved and then suddenly weakened due to residual silicon initiating a nonuniform microstructure. The elastic modulus of the preform with 8 wt%CB after LSI was 389 ± 4 GPa and the flexural strength was 340 ± 17 MPa, which improved by about 150% compared to other rapid prototyping methods and has attractive application prospects.

Recent advances in nanoscale fabrication and characterization further accelerated research on photonics and plasmonics, which has already attracted long-standing interest. Alongside morphological constraints, phenomena in both fields highly depend on the materials' optical properties, dimensions, and surroundings. Building up the required knowledge and experience to design next-generation photonic devices can be a complex task for novice and experienced researchers who intend to evaluate the impact of subtle material and morphology variations while setting up experiments or getting a general overview. Here, we introduce the Photonic Materials Cloud (PMCloud), a web-based, interactive open tool for designing and analyzing photonic materials. PMCloud allows identification of the subtle differences between optical material models generated from a database, experimental data input, and inline-generated materials from various analytical models. Furthermore, it provides a fully interactive interface to evaluate their performance in important fundamental (numerical) optical experiments. We demonstrate PMCloud's applicability to state-of-the-art research questions, namely the comparison of the novel plasmonic materials aluminium-doped zinc oxide and zirconium nitride and the design of an optical, dielectric thin-film Bragg reflector. PMCloud opens a rapid, freely accessible path towards prototyping optical materials and simple fundamental devices and may serve as an educational platform for photonic materials research.

Aged, Equipment Design, Humans, Muscle, Skeletal physiology, Printing, Three-Dimensional, Biomimetics, and Robotics

Biomimetic machines able to integrate with natural and social environments will find ubiquitous applications, from biodiversity conservation to elderly daily care. Although artificial actuators have reached the contraction performances of muscles, the versatility and grace of the movements realized by the complex arrangements of muscles remain largely unmatched. Here, we present a class of pneumatic artificial muscles, named GeometRy-based Actuators that Contract and Elongate (GRACE). The GRACEs consist of a single-material pleated membrane and do not need any strain-limiting elements. They can contract and extend by design, as described by a mathematical model, and can be realized at different dimensional scales and with different materials and mechanical performances, enabling a wide range of lifelike movements. The GRACEs can be fabricated through low-cost additive manufacturing and even built directly within functional devices, such as a pneumatic artificial hand that is fully three-dimensionally printed in one step. This makes the prototyping and fabrication of pneumatic artificial muscle-based devices faster and more straightforward.

This case-report described the 3-dimensional (3D) evaluation of airway changes using 3D printing technology in a patient with mandibular prognathism, treated via mandibular setback surgery with maxillary posterior impaction. The airway dimensions, following orthognathic surgery, were printed using 3D printing technology and the sequential airway changes were visualized. The patient underwent orthognathic surgery for the correction of mandibular prognathism. Five years later, the airway changes were visualized and evaluated using rapid prototyping. The 3D visualization of the airway changes following surgery alerted clinicians of patients with mandibular prognathism and facilitated effective communication with their patients. This case-report documented the long-term evaluation and visualization of the postoperative airway changes in patients with mandibular prognathism using cone-beam computed tomography and 3D printing technology.
(Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Protein cages are attractive as molecular scaffolds for the fundamental study of enzymes and metabolons and for the creation of biocatalytic nanoreactors for in vitro and in vivo use. Virus-like particles (VLPs) such as those derived from the P22 bacteriophage capsid protein make versatile self-assembling protein cages and can be used to encapsulate a broad range of protein cargos. In vivo encapsulation of enzymes within VLPs requires fusion to the coat protein or a scaffold protein. However, the expression level, stability, and activity of cargo proteins can vary upon fusion. Moreover, it has been shown that molecular crowding of enzymes inside VLPs can affect their catalytic properties. Consequently, testing of numerous parameters is required for production of the most efficient nanoreactor for a given cargo enzyme. Here, we present a set of acceptor vectors that provide a quick and efficient way to build, test, and optimize cargo loading inside P22 VLPs. We prototyped the system using a yellow fluorescent protein and then applied it to mevalonate kinases (MKs), a key enzyme class in the industrially important terpene (isoprenoid) synthesis pathway. Different MKs required considerably different approaches to deliver maximal encapsulation as well as optimal kinetic parameters, demonstrating the value of being able to rapidly access a variety of encapsulation strategies. The vector system described here provides an approach to optimize cargo enzyme behavior in bespoke P22 nanoreactors. This will facilitate industrial applications as well as basic research on nanoreactor-cargo behavior.

Objectives: The Vocal Tract Organ has had a number of iterations resulting from advances in available technology as well as requirements of perceptual experiments and performance paradigms. The objective of this paper is to relate the development history of the Vocal Tract Organ from the original vision to what it is today as a modern version of the Vox Humana pipe organ stop for application in voice production and perception research.
Study Design: Descriptive METHODS/DESIGN: The latest Vocal Tract Organ is a polyphonic eight-channel eight-stop one manual Vocal Tract Organ that enables tab stop selected three-D printed vocal tracts to be used to create sound. This version includes eight stops (four for female vowel oral tracts and four for male vowel oral tracts). The stops are implemented using conventionally engraved pipe organ stop tabs labeled "Vox Humana Female" or "Vox Humana Male" followed by the three-D printed vowel: "EE", "AH", "ER" or "UU." This is described alongside the development stages from which it emerged and covers all previous versions of the Vocal Tract Organ. At the heart of the latest instrument is a Bela BeagleBone Black with a Bela cape audio expander board which incorporates eight 16-bit audio outputs at 44.1 kHz sampling rate (earlier versions based on the Arduino Mega board were limited to 8-bit audio at an audio sampling rate of 16.384 kHz which limited the overall output spectrum). The latest Vocal Tract Organ is programmed using the audio graphical programming language Pure Data which is directly compatible with the Bela system. The Pure Data patch creates eight larynx outputs at the pitches set by the keys depressed on the keyboard and these are routed to Vocal Tract Organ loudspeakers with three-D printed vocal tracts attached.
Results: The Bela system has enabled real-time synthesis of eight-note polyphonic sounds to eight separate three-D printed vocal tracts, each being selectable via an organ tab stop switch. The instrument has been cased in a purpose-designed and built prototype laser-cut enclosure that incorporates the eight tab stops, a MIDI keyboard input, a pipe organ style swell (volume) pedal connection, four stereo (eight channels) audio amplifiers and terminal connections for the eight loudspeakers.
Conclusions: The Vocal Tract Organ functions as a musical instrument for performance and as an instrument for vowel and pitch perception research. Implementing it with the Bela family of processors allows for low audio latency of 1 ms and rapid prototyping due to being able to program directly with the high-level graphical audio programming language, Pure data (Pd).
(Crown Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Population density techniques can be used to simulate the behavior of a population of neurons which adhere to a common underlying neuron model. They have previously been used for analyzing models of orientation tuning and decision making tasks. They produce a fully deterministic solution to neural simulations which often involve a non-deterministic or noise component. Until now, numerical population density techniques have been limited to only one- and two-dimensional models. For the first time, we demonstrate a method to take an N-dimensional underlying neuron model and simulate the behavior of a population. The technique enables so-called graceful degradation of the dynamics allowing a balance between accuracy and simulation speed while maintaining important behavioral features such as rate curves and bifurcations. It is an extension of the numerical population density technique implemented in the MIIND software framework that simulates networks of populations of neurons. Here, we describe the extension to N dimensions and simulate populations of leaky integrate-and-fire neurons with excitatory and inhibitory synaptic conductances then demonstrate the effect of degrading the accuracy on the solution. We also simulate two separate populations in an E-I configuration to demonstrate the technique's ability to capture complex behaviors of interacting populations. Finally, we simulate a population of four-dimensional Hodgkin-Huxley neurons under the influence of noise. Though the MIIND software has been used only for neural modeling up to this point, the technique can be used to simulate the behavior of a population of agents adhering to any system of ordinary differential equations under the influence of shot noise. MIIND has been modified to render a visualization of any three of an N-dimensional state space of a population which encourages fast model prototyping and debugging and could prove a useful educational tool for understanding dynamical systems.
(Copyright © 2022 Osborne and de Kamps.)

Avidin chemistry, Click Chemistry, Light, Surface Properties, Biotin chemistry, and Sulfhydryl Compounds chemistry

The rational design of chemical coatings is used to control surface interactions with small molecules, biomolecules, nanoparticles, and liquids as well as optical and other properties. Specifically, micropatterned surface coatings have been used in a wide variety of applications, including biosensing, cell growth assays, multiplexed biomolecule interaction arrays, and responsive surfaces. Here, a maskless photopatterning process is studied, using the photocatalyzed thiol-yne "click" reaction to create both binary and gradient patterns on thiolated surfaces. Nearly defect-free patterns are produced by first coating glass surfaces with mercaptopropylsilatrane, a silanizing agent that forms smoother self-assembled monolayers than the commonly used 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane. Photopatterning is then performed using UV (365 nm) or visible (405 nm) light to graft molecules onto the surface in tunable concentrations based on the local exposure. The technique is demonstrated for multiple types of molecular grafts, including fluorescent dyes, poly(ethylene glycol), and biotin, the latter allowing subsequent deposition of biomolecules via biotin-avidin binding. Patterning is demonstrated in water and dimethylformamide, and the process is repeated to combine molecules soluble in different phases. The combination of arbitrary gradient formation, broad applicability, a low defect rate, and fast prototyping thanks to the maskless nature of the process creates a particularly powerful technique for molecular surface patterning that could be used for a wide variety of micropatterned applications.

Diagnostic Imaging, Reactive Oxygen Species, Software, and Robotics

Developing image-guided robotic systems requires access to flexible, open-source software. For image guidance, the open-source medical imaging platform 3D Slicer is one of the most adopted tools that can be used for research and prototyping. Similarly, for robotics, the open-source middleware suite robot operating system (ROS) is the standard development framework. In the past, there have been several "ad hoc" attempts made to bridge both tools; however, they are all reliant on middleware and custom interfaces. Additionally, none of these attempts have been successful in bridging access to the full suite of tools provided by ROS or 3D Slicer. Therefore, in this paper, we present the SlicerROS2 module, which was designed for the direct use of ROS2 packages and libraries within 3D Slicer. The module was developed to enable real-time visualization of robots, accommodate different robot configurations, and facilitate data transfer in both directions (between ROS and Slicer). We demonstrate the system on multiple robots with different configurations, evaluate the system performance and discuss an image-guided robotic intervention that can be prototyped with this module. This module can serve as a starting point for clinical system development that reduces the need for custom interfaces and time-intensive platform setup.

Artificial joints are exposed to loads on a daily basis. Loads on the bone through the artificial joint and the joint's sliding surface shear force may cause implant fixation failure, fatigue fractures, wear of the bearing and foreign body reactions. Artificial joints can experience sudden internal damage, which can be fatal if it occurs during activities performed at high altitudes or in water. The standard design hip prosthesis has a metal femoral stem. Most stem fractures are caused at the proximal one third of the stem by fatigue due to repetitive loading. Femoral stem neck fractures can also occur. To eliminate in vivo prosthesis failures, safety performance preclinical studies evaluate stem body and neck breakage. However, the development of new femoral stems via prototyping and fatigue test verification would require excessive time and money. Therefore, evaluation methods based on numerical analyses, such as finite element analysis (FEA), have been introduced to simulate tests on actual machines. Fatigue strength design verification using FEA can efficiently identify a design that can pass International Organization for Standardization fatigue tests. FEA may also aid with composite implant development by enabling efficient preclinical testing to prove safety using minimal actual fatigue testing. Once a biological safety study of a composite material is performed, a clinical trial can prove its clinical efficacy and safety and device regulatory approval can be requested. This review was created based on a translation of the Japanese review written in the Japanese Journal of Artificial Organs in 2020 (Vol. 49, No. 3, pp. 195-198), with adding some additional contents and references.
(© 2022. The Japanese Society for Artificial Organs.)

Cell Cycle, Genes, Synthetic, Models, Theoretical, Biochemical Phenomena, and Gene Regulatory Networks genetics

Control-Based Continuation (CBC) is a general and systematic method to carry out the bifurcation analysis of physical experiments. CBC does not rely on a mathematical model and thus overcomes the uncertainty introduced when identifying bifurcation curves indirectly through modeling and parameter estimation. We demonstrate, in silico , CBC applicability to biochemical processes by tracking the equilibrium curve of a toggle switch, which includes additive process noise and exhibits bistability. We compare the results obtained when CBC uses a model-free and model-based control strategy and show that both can track stable and unstable solutions, revealing bistability. We then demonstrate CBC in conditions more representative of an in vivo experiment using an agent-based simulator describing cell growth and division, cell-to-cell variability, spatial distribution, and diffusion of chemicals. We further show how the identified curves can be used for parameter estimation and discuss how CBC can significantly accelerate the prototyping of synthetic gene regulatory networks.

Background: Pediatric surgery is associated with a risk of postoperative pain that can impact the family's quality of life. Although some risk factors for postoperative pain are known, these are often not consistently communicated to families. In addition, although tools for risk communication exist in other domains, none are tailored to pediatric surgery.
Objective: As part of a larger project to develop pain risk prediction tools, we aimed to design an easy-to-use tool to effectively communicate a child's risk of postoperative pain to both clinicians and family members.
Methods: With research ethics board approval, we conducted virtual focus groups (~1 hour each) comprising clinicians and family members (people with lived surgical experience and parents of children who had recently undergone surgery/medical procedures) at a tertiary pediatric hospital to understand and evaluate potential design approaches and strategies for effectively communicating and visualizing postoperative pain risk. Data were analyzed thematically to generate design requirements and to inform iterative prototype development.
Results: In total, 19 participants (clinicians: n=10, 53%; family members: n=9, 47%) attended 6 focus group sessions. Participants indicated that risk was typically communicated verbally by clinicians to patients and their families, with severity indicated using a descriptive or a numerical representation or both, which would only occasionally be contextualized. Participants indicated that risk communication tools were seldom used but that families would benefit from risk information, time to reflect on the information, and follow-up with questions. In addition, 9 key design requirements and feature considerations for effective risk communication were identified: (1) present risk information clearly and with contextualization, (2) quantify the risk and contextualize it, (3) include checklists for preoperative family preparation, (4) provide risk information digitally to facilitate recall and sharing, (5) query the family's understanding to ensure comprehension of risk, (6) present the risk score using multimodal formats, (7) use color coding that is nonthreatening and avoids limitations with color blindness, (8) present the most significant factors contributing to the risk prediction, and (9) provide risk mitigation strategies to potentially decrease the patient's level of risk.
Conclusions: Key design requirements for a pediatric postoperative pain risk visualization tool were established and guided the development of an initial prototype. Implementing a risk communication tool into clinical practice has the potential to bridge existing gaps in the accessibility, utilization, and comprehension of personalized risk information between health care professionals and family members. Future iterative codesign and clinical evaluation of this risk communication tool are needed to confirm its utility in practice.
(©Michael D Wood, Kim Correa, Peijia Ding, Rama Sreepada, Kent C Loftsgard, Isabel Jordan, Nicholas C West, Simon D Whyte, Elodie Portales-Casamar, Matthias Görges. Originally published in JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting (https://pediatrics.jmir.org), 15.07.2022.)

Photons, Polymerization, Hydrogels chemistry, and Lasers

Functional microdevices based on responsive hydrogel show great promise in targeted delivery and biomedical analysis. Among state-of-the-art techniques for manufacturing hydrogel-based microarchitectures, femtosecond laser two-photon polymerization distinguishes itself by high designability and precision, but the point-by-point writing scheme requires mechanical apparatuses to support focus scanning. In this work, by predesigning holograms combined with lens phase modulation, multiple femtosecond laser spots are holographically generated and shifted for prototyping of three-dimensional shape-morphing structures without any moving equipment in the construction process. The microcage array is rapidly fabricated for high-performance target capturing enabled by switching environmental pH. Moreover, the built scaffolds can serve as arrayed analytical platforms for observing cell behaviors in normal or changeable living spaces or revealing the anticancer effects of loaded drugs. The proposed approach opens a new path for facile and flexible manufacturing of hydrogel-based functional microstructures with great versatility in micro-object manipulation.

Introduction: Tracheostomy is one of the most common surgical strategies in intensive care units (ICU) and provides relevant clinical benefit for multiple indications. However, the complications associated with its use range from 5 to 40% according to different series. The risk of these complications could be reduced if fixation strategies and alignment of the tracheostomy tube with respect to the tracheal axis are improved.
Aim: To build a functional device of technological innovation in respiratory medicine for the fixation and alignment of tracheostomy cannula (acronym DYNAtraq) and to evaluate its feasibility and safety in a pilot study in mechanically ventilated patients.
Methods: Study carried out in four phases: (1) design engineering and functional prototyping of the device; (2) study of cytotoxicity and tolerance to the force of traction and push; (3) pilot study of feasibility and safety of its use in tracheostomized and mechanically ventilated patients; and (4) health workers satisfaction study.
Results: The design of the innovative DYNAtraq device included, on the one hand, a connector with very little additional dead space to be inserted between the cannula and the ventilation tubes, and, on the other hand, a shaft with two supports for adhesion to the skin of the thorax with very high tolerance (several kilograms) to pull and push. In patients, the device corrected the malpositioned tracheostomy tubes for the latero-lateral (p < 0.001) and cephalo-caudal angles (p < 0.001). Its effect was maintained throughout the follow-up time (p < 0.001). The use of DYNAtraq did not induce serious adverse events and showed a 70% protective effect for complications (RR = 0.3, p < 0.001) in patients.
Conclusion: DYNAtraq is a new device for respiratory medicine that allows the stabilization, alignment and fixation of tracheostomy tubes in mechanically ventilated patients. Its use provides additional benefits to traditional forms of support as it corrects misalignment and increases tolerance to habitual or forced movements. DYNAtraq is a safe element and can reduce the complications of tracheostomy tubes.
(© 2022 Orozco-Levi et al.)

Humans, Hydrogels, Microvessels, Neovascularization, Pathologic, Lab-On-A-Chip Devices, and Microtechnology

Reconstruction of 3D vascularized microtissues within microfabricated devices has rapidly developed in biomedical engineering, which can better mimic the tissue microphysiological function and accurately model human diseases in vitro . However, the traditional PDMS-based microfluidic devices suffer from the microfabrication with complex processes and usage limitations of either material properties or microstructure design, which drive the demand for easy processing and more accessible devices with a user-friendly interface. Here, we present an open microfluidic device through a rapid prototyping method by laser cutting in a cost-effective manner with high flexibility and compatibility. This device allows highly efficient and robust hydrogel patterning under a liquid guiding rail by spontaneous capillary action without the need for surface treatment. Different vascularization mechanisms including vasculogenesis and angiogenesis were performed to construct a 3D perfusable microvasculature inside a tissue chamber with various shapes under different microenvironment factors. Furthermore, as a proof-of-concept we have created a vascularized spheroid by placing a monoculture spheroid into the central through-hole of this device, which formed angiogenesis between the spheroid and microvascular network. This open microfluidic device has great potential for mass customization without the need for complex microfabrication equipment in the cleanroom, which can facilitate studies requiring high-throughput and high-content screening.

Background and Objective: Accurate representation of bone shape is important for subject-specific musculoskeletal models as it may influence modelling of joint kinematics, kinetics, and muscle dynamics. Statistical shape modelling is a method to estimate bone shape from minimal information, such as anatomical landmarks, and to avoid the time and cost associated with reconstructing bone shapes from comprehensive medical imaging. Statistical shape models (SSM) of lower limb bones have been developed and validated for adult populations but are not applicable to paediatric populations. This study aimed to develop SSM for paediatric lower limb bones and evaluate their reconstruction accuracy using sparse anatomical landmarks.
Methods: We created three-dimensional models of 56 femurs, 29 pelves, 56 tibias, 56 fibulas, and 56 patellae through segmentation of magnetic resonance images taken from 29 typically developing children (15 females; 13 ± 3.5 years). The SSM for femur, pelvis, tibia, fibula, patella, haunch (i.e., combined femur and pelvis), and shank (i.e., combined tibia and fibula) were generated from manual segmentation of comprehensive magnetic resonance images to describe the shape variance of the cohort. We implemented a leave-one-out cross-validation method wherein SSM were used to reconstruct novel bones (i.e., those not included in SSM generation) using full- (i.e., full segmentation) and sparse- (i.e., anatomical landmarks) input, and then compared these reconstructions against bones segmented from magnetic resonance imaging. Reconstruction performance was evaluated using root mean squared errors (RMSE, mm), Jaccard index (0-1), Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) (0-1), and Hausdorff distance (mm). All results reported in this abstract are mean ± standard deviation.
Results: Femurs, pelves, tibias, fibulas, and patellae reconstructed via SSM using full-input had RMSE between 0.89 ± 0.10 mm (patella) and 1.98 ± 0.38 mm (pelvis), Jaccard indices between 0.77 ± 0.03 (pelvis) and 0.90 ± 0.02 (tibia), DSC between 0.87 ± 0.02 (pelvis) and 0.95 ± 0.01 (tibia), and Hausdorff distances between 2.45 ± 0.57 mm (patella) and 9.01 ± 2.36 mm (pelvis). Reconstruction using sparse-input had RMSE ranging from 1.33 ± 0.61 mm (patella) to 3.60 ± 1.05 mm (pelvis), Jaccard indices ranging from 0.59 ± 0.10 (pelvis) to 0.83 ± 0.03 (tibia), DSC ranging from 0.74 ± 0.08 (pelvis) to 0.90 ± 0.02 (tibia), and Hausdorff distances ranging from 3.21 ± 1.19 mm (patella) to 12.85 ± 3.24 mm (pelvis).
Conclusions: The SSM of paediatric lower limb bones showed reconstruction accuracy consistent with previously developed SSM and outperformed adult-based SSM when used to reconstruct paediatric bones.
(Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Humans, Algorithms, and Software

Precise motor control requires high accuracy of the rotor position through the incremental encoder. The speed and accuracy of the acquisition equipment (microcontroller) play an important element in terms of cost and efficiency. In this paper, the author presents alternative methods for speed acquisition from an incremental encoder. In the first stage of research, the main performances of the STM32 microcontroller, connected with an incremental encoder, will be analyzed and compared with two different acquisition systems, i.e., ELVIS II and a Unidrive M701 power inverter. Using the LabVIEW graphical programming language, a user-friendly, convenient, and flexible human-machine interface is designed. Due to the advantages provided by the STM32 microcontroller in terms of processing power, cost, and programming interface, the obtained results are accurate and consistent. Through experimental testing and analysis, the speed acquisition is stable for both developed software algorithms used for ELVIS II and STM32 platforms. It is the aim of the paper to propose a useful speed acquisition tool in low-cost, high-accuracy prototyping applications.

Humans, Qualitative Research, Trust, Delivery of Health Care, and Health Services Research

Background: Knowledge mobilisation is a term used in healthcare research to describe the process of generating, sharing and using evidence. 'Co'approaches, such as co-production, co-design and co-creation, have been proposed as a way of overcoming the knowledge to practice gap. There is a need to understand why researchers choose to adopt these approaches, how they achieve knowledge mobilisation in the management of health conditions, and the extent to which knowledge mobilisation is accomplished.
Methods: Studies that explicitly used the terms co-production, co-design or co-creation to mobilise knowledge in the management of health conditions were included. Web of Science, EMBASE via OvidSP, MEDLINE via OvidSP and CINHAL via EBSCO databases were searched up to April 2021. Quality assessment was carried out using the Joanna Briggs Institute qualitative quality assessment checklist. Pluye and Hong's seven steps for mixed studies reviews were followed. Data were synthesised using thematic synthesis.
Results: Twenty four international studies were included. These were qualitative studies, case studies and study protocols. Key aspects of 'co'approaches were bringing people together as active and equal partners, valuing all types of knowledge, using creative approaches to understand and solve problems, and using iterative prototyping techniques. Authors articulated mechanisms of action that included developing a shared understanding, identifying and meeting needs, giving everyone a voice and sense of ownership, and creating trust and confidence. They believed these mechanisms could produce interventions that were relevant and acceptable to stakeholders, more useable and more likely to be implemented in healthcare. Varied activities were used to promote these mechanisms such as interviews and creative workshops. There appeared to be a lack of robust evaluation of the interventions produced so little evidence in this review that 'co'approaches improved the management of health conditions.
Conclusion: Those using 'co'approaches believed that they could achieve knowledge mobilisation through a number of mechanisms, but there was no evidence that these led to improved health. The framework of key aspects and mechanisms of 'co'approaches developed here may help researchers to meet the principles of these approaches. There is a need for robust evaluation to identify whether 'co'approaches produce improved health outcomes.
Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42020187463 .
(© 2022. The Author(s).)

Conductive scaffolds, defined as scaffold systems capable of carrying electric current, have been extensively researched for tissue engineering applications. Conducting polymers (CPs) as components of conductive scaffolds was introduced to improve morphology or cell attachment, conductivity, tissue growth, and healing rate, all of which are beneficial for cardiac, muscle, nerve, and bone tissue management. Conductive scaffolds have become an alternative for tissue replacement, and repair, as well as to compensate for the global organ shortage for transplantation. Previous researchers have presented a wide range of fabrication methods for conductive scaffolds. This review highlights the most recent advances in developing conductive scaffolds, with the aim to trigger more theoretical and experimental work to address the challenges and prospects of these new fabrication techniques in medical sciences.
(Copyright © 2022 Asri, Mahat, Zakaria, Safian and Abd Hamid.)

Micro-ultrasound (US) has become an invaluable tool for preclinical research and in emerging applications in clinical diagnosis and treatment guidance. Several such applications can benefit from arrays with a small footprint and endoscopic form factor. However, critical challenges arise in making electrical connections to array elements in such spatial constraints. In this work we describe a method to pattern a high-density flexible circuit cabling on a copper on polyimide film, using laser ablation of a polymer resist and wet etching, and then demonstrate connection to a micro-US array. We investigate laser ablation process parameters and evaluate the ability to consistently pattern continuous copper traces. A minimum 30 µm pitch was achieved with 5-µm-wide electrode lines, and continuity of a 5-meter-long trace is demonstrated. A flexible circuit with 30-mm-long traces with 30 µm line and 30 µm space before fan-out was fabricated to connect in an interleaved manner to a 32-element array with 30 µm element pitch. Metal deposition and laser ablation were used to connect and pattern the element electrodes to the copper traces of the flexible circuit. Electrical and acoustic measurements show good yield and consistent impedance across channels. Element pulse-echo tests demonstrated device functionality; the two-way pulse had 43 MHz center frequency and 40% fractional bandwidth (-6 dB). The proposed manufacturing methods facilitate prototyping and fabrication of flexible endoscopic or small footprint micro-US devices.

Cone-Beam Computed Tomography, Humans, and Surgery, Computer-Assisted

Objective: Compared with the conventional flap implantation, the postoperative effect of flapless implantation of a single posterior tooth under the guidance of the fully guided template was observed.
Materials and Methods: 67 cases were divided into the template group ( n  = 35) and the flap group ( n  = 32) according to the wishes and actual situation of the patients. In the template group, the fully guided template was made by rapid prototyping technology, and the flapless implantation was performed under the guidance of the template in the posterior tooth area. The flap group underwent routine flap implantation. After the operation, the template group took CBCT (cone beam computed tomography) again and fitted it with that before the operation. Neck deviation, apical deviation, depth deviation, and axial angle deviation in buccolingual and mesiodistal directions were measured to observe the accuracy of the fully guided template. At the same time, the postoperative reactions of the two surgical methods were compared by recording the operation time, pain degree 24 hours after the operation, swelling degree 72 hours after the operation, and postoperative satisfaction of patients.
Results: Whether in buccolingual or mesiodistal directions, the maximum values of neck deviation, apical deviation, and depth deviation were less than 2 mm. The axial angle deviation was 0.07°∼5.93° in the buccolingual direction and 0°∼4.12° in the mesiodistal direction. The guiding effect of the template was relatively reliable, and the implantation site and depth were well controlled. Although there were small deviations, the accuracy of the template could meet the clinical needs. The operation time and the VAS (visual analogue scale) score 24 hours after the operation in the template group were lower than those in the flap group ( P < 0.05), and the swelling degree rating 72 hours after the operation and postoperative satisfaction of the patients were better than those in the flap group ( P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Compared with the conventional flap implantation, the flapless implantation in the posterior tooth area under the guidance of the fully guided template could improve the accuracy of the operation, shorten the operation time, and reduce the degree of postoperative pain and swelling, which had a certain positive clinical significance.
(Copyright © 2022 Dan Wei et al.)

Decision Making, Decision Making, Shared, Decision Support Techniques, Humans, Patient Participation methods, and Renal Insufficiency therapy

Background: Patient decision aids (PtDAs) support patients and clinicians in shared decision-making (SDM). Real-world outcome information may improve patients' risk perception, and help patients make decisions congruent with their expectations and values. Our aim was to develop an online PtDA to support kidney failure treatment modality decision-making, that: 1) provides patients with real-world outcome information, and 2) facilitates SDM in clinical practice.
Methods: The International Patient Decision Aids Standards (IPDAS) development process model was complemented with a user-centred and convergent mixed-methods approach. Rapid prototyping was used to develop the PtDA with a multidisciplinary steering group in an iterative process of co-creation. The results of an exploratory evidence review and a needs-assessment among patients, caregivers, and clinicians were used to develop the PtDA. Seven Dutch teaching hospitals and two national Dutch outcome registries provided real-world data on selected outcomes for all kidney failure treatment modalities. Alpha and beta testing were performed to assess the prototype and finalise development. An implementation strategy was developed to guide implementation of the PtDA in clinical practice.
Results: The 'Kidney Failure Decision Aid' consists of three components designed to help patients and clinicians engage in SDM: 1) a paper hand-out sheet, 2) an interactive website, and 3) a personal summary sheet. A 'patients-like-me' infographic was developed to visualise survival probabilities for each treatment modality on the website. Other treatment outcomes were incorporated as event rates (e.g. hospitalisation rates) or explained in text (e.g. the flexibility of each treatment modality). No major revisions were needed after alpha and beta testing. During beta testing, some patients ignored the survival probabilities because they considered these too confronting. Nonetheless, patients agreed that every patient has the right to choose whether they want to view this information. Patients and clinicians believed that the PtDA would help patients make informed decisions, and that it would support values- and preferences-based decision-making. Implementation of the PtDA has started in October 2020.
Conclusions: The 'Kidney Failure Decision Aid' was designed to facilitate SDM in clinical practice and contains real-world outcome information on all kidney failure treatment modalities. It is currently being investigated for its effects on SDM in a clinical trial.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)

Aged, Delivery of Health Care, Electronics, Humans, Middle Aged, United States, Evidence-Based Practice, and Health Facilities

Objective: The primary aim was to review and synthesise the current evidence of how older adults are involved in codesign approaches to develop electronic healthcare tools (EHTs). The secondary aim was to identify how the codesign approaches used mutual learning techniques to benefit older adult participants.
Design: Systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews 2020 checklist.
Data Sources: PubMed, Embase and Scopus databases were searched for studies from January 2010 to March 2021.
Eligibility Criteria: Inclusion criteria were studies employing codesign approaches to develop an EHTs, and the study population was aged 60 years and older.
Data Extraction and Synthesis: Data were extracted for analysis and risk of bias. We evaluated the quality of studies using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Evidence-based Practice Center approach.
Results: Twenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. All studies used at least two involvement processes, with interviews and prototypes used most frequently. Through cross-classification, we found an increased utilisation of functional prototypes in studies reaching the 'empower' level of participation and found that studies which benefitted from mutual learning had a higher utilisation of specific involvement processes such as focus groups and functional prototyping.
Conclusions: We found gaps to support which involvement processes, participation levels and learning models should be employed when codesigning with older adults. This is important because higher levels of participation may increase the user's knowledge of technology, enhance learning and empower participants. To ensure studies optimise participation and learning of older adults when developing EHTs, there is a need to place more emphasis on the approaches promoting mutual learning.
Prospero Registration Number: CRD42021240013.
(© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Three-dimensional printing is revolutionizing the development of scaffolds due to their rapid-prototyping characteristics. One of the most used techniques is fused filament fabrication (FFF), which is fast and compatible with a wide range of polymers, such as PolyLactic Acid (PLA). Mechanical properties of the 3D printed polymeric scaffolds are often weak for certain applications. A potential solution is the development of composite materials. In the present work, metal-PLA composites have been tested as a material for 3D printing scaffolds. Three different materials were tested: copper-filled PLA, bronze-filled PLA, and steel-filled PLA. Disk-shaped samples were printed with linear infill patterns and line spacing of 0.6, 0.7, and 0.8 mm, respectively. The porosity of the samples was measured from cross-sectional images. Biocompatibility was assessed by culturing Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal on the surface of the printed scaffolds. The results showed that, for identical line spacing value, the highest porosity corresponded to bronze-filled material and the lowest one to steel-filled material. Steel-filled PLA polymers showed good cytocompatibility without the need to coat the material with biomolecules. Moreover, human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells differentiated towards osteoblasts when cultured on top of the developed scaffolds. Therefore, it can be concluded that steel-filled PLA bioprinted parts are valid scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.

Gene Regulatory Networks, Supervised Machine Learning, Workflow, Carbon Dioxide, and Metabolic Networks and Pathways genetics

Optimization of biological networks is often limited by wet lab labor and cost, and the lack of convenient computational tools. Here, we describe METIS, a versatile active machine learning workflow with a simple online interface for the data-driven optimization of biological targets with minimal experiments. We demonstrate our workflow for various applications, including cell-free transcription and translation, genetic circuits, and a 27-variable synthetic CO 2 -fixation cycle (CETCH cycle), improving these systems between one and two orders of magnitude. For the CETCH cycle, we explore 10 25 conditions with only 1,000 experiments to yield the most efficient CO 2 -fixation cascade described to date. Beyond optimization, our workflow also quantifies the relative importance of individual factors to the performance of a system identifying unknown interactions and bottlenecks. Overall, our workflow opens the way for convenient optimization and prototyping of genetic and metabolic networks with customizable adjustments according to user experience, experimental setup, and laboratory facilities.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)

Electrodes and Ions chemistry

Traveling wave structures for lossless ion manipulation (TW-SLIM) has proven a valuable tool for the separation and study of gas-phase ions. Unfortunately, many of the traditional components of TW-SLIM experiments manifest practical and financial barriers to the technique's broad implementation. To this end, a series of technological innovations and methodologies are presented which enable for simplified SLIM experimentation and more rapid TW-SLIM prototyping. In addition to the use of multiple independent board sets that comprise the present SLIM system, we introduce a low-cost, multifunctional traveling wave generator to produce TW within the TW-SLIM. This square-wave producing unit proved effective in realizing TW-SLIM separations compared to traditional approaches. Maintaining a focus on lowering barriers to implementation, the present set of experiments explores the use of on-board injection (OBI) methods, which offer potential alternatives to ion funnel traps. These OBI techniques proved feasible and the ability of this simplified TW-SLIM platform to enhance ion accumulation was established. Further experimentation regarding ion accumulation revealed a complexity to ion accumulation within TW-SLIM that has yet to be expounded upon. Lastly, the ability of the presented TW-SLIM platform to store ions for extended periods (1 s) without significant loss (<10%) was demonstrated. The aforementioned experiments clearly establish the efficacy of a simplified TW-SLIM platform which promises to expand adoption and experimentation of the technique.
(Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

DNA, Luciferases, Luminescence, Mycobacterium tuberculosis genetics, and RNA, Guide genetics

The wide application of molecular beacon probes in specific DNA detection, especially in the fast prototyping of pathogen DNA detection kits in point-of-care diagnostics, has been hindered by the nonflexible choice of target sequences and the unstable fluorophore output. We developed an in vitro DNA detection system consisting of a pair of dCas9 proteins linked to split halves of luciferase, named the Paired dCas9 (PC) reporter. Co-localization of the reporter pair to a ~46 bp target sequence defined by two single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) activated luciferase which subsequently generated highly intensified luminescent signals. Combined with an array design and statistical analyses, the PC reporter system could be programmed to access sequence information across the entire genome of the pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain. These findings suggest great potential for the PC reporter in effective and affordable in vitro nucleic acid detection technologies. In this article we highlighted the systems design from our previous researchworkon the PC reporter (Zhang et al, 2015)with a focuson methodology.
(Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Drug Delivery Systems, Humans, and Bioprinting methods

Additive Manufacturing (AM) comprises a variety of techniques that enable fabrication of customised objects with specific attributes. The versatility of AM procedures and constant technological improvements allow for their application in the development of medicinal products and medical devices. This review provides an overview of AM applications related to respiratory sciences. For this purpose, both fields of research are briefly introduced and the potential benefits of integrating AM to respiratory sciences at different levels of pharmaceutical development are highlighted. Tailored manufacturing of microstructures as a particle design approach in respiratory drug delivery will be discussed. At the dosage form level, we exemplify AM as an important link in the iterative loop of data driven inhaler design, rapid prototyping and in vitro testing. This review also presents the application of bioprinting in the respiratory field for design of biorelevant in vitro cellular models, followed by an overview of AM-related processes in preventive and therapeutic care. Finally, this review discusses future prospects of AM as a component in a digital health environment.
(Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Health Promotion methods, Humans, Peer Group, Surveys and Questionnaires, Occupational Health, and Workplace

Translation of an effective research intervention into a program able to be implemented in practice typically requires adaptations to ensure the outcomes can be achieved within the applied setting. User centred design (UCD) methodologies can support these iterative adaptations, with this approach being particularly well suited to peer-led interventions, due to a focus on usability. We describe and reflect on the UCD approach that was applied to optimise an online, peer-led workplace health promotion initiative (BeUpstanding: ACTRN12617000682347) to be suitable for wide-scale implementation and evaluation. Optimisation was aligned against the indicators of the RE-AIM (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance) framework, with UCD methodologies (discovery interviews, persona and scenario mapping, facilitated workshops, surveys and prototyping) employed to enhance the program according to all RE-AIM dimensions. The core team (content experts, implementation scientist, interaction designer, software developer, business developer) worked closely with policy and practice partners and end users (workplace champions, management and staff) to iteratively develop and test across the RE-AIM indicators. This description and reflection of the process of applying UCD and the RE-AIM framework to the optimisation of BeUpstanding is intended to provide guidance for other behaviour change research adaptations into practice.

Engineering and manufacturing industries, Science and technology, and ASM International

Metal additive manufacturing (MAM) processes have matured from their early use as rapid prototyping tools to producing today's critical end-use components[1-4]. Since the early 2010s, an increasing number of MAM [...]

The development of medical image analysis algorithm is a complex process including the multiple sub-steps of model training, data visualization, human-computer interaction and graphical user interface (GUI) construction. To accelerate the development process, algorithm developers need a software tool to assist with all the sub-steps so that they can focus on the core function implementation. Especially, for the development of deep learning (DL) algorithms, a software tool supporting training data annotation and GUI construction is highly desired. In this work, we constructed AnatomySketch, an extensible open-source software platform with a friendly GUI and a flexible plugin interface for integrating user-developed algorithm modules. Through the plugin interface, algorithm developers can quickly create a GUI-based software prototype for clinical validation. AnatomySketch supports image annotation using the stylus and multi-touch screen. It also provides efficient tools to facilitate the collaboration between human experts and artificial intelligent (AI) algorithms. We demonstrate four exemplar applications including customized MRI image diagnosis, interactive lung lobe segmentation, human-AI collaborated spine disc segmentation and Annotation-by-iterative-Deep-Learning (AID) for DL model training. Using AnatomySketch, the gap between laboratory prototyping and clinical testing is bridged and the development of MIA algorithms is accelerated. The software is opened at https://github.com/DlutMedimgGroup/AnatomySketch-Software .
(© 2022. The Author(s).)

Electronics, Equipment Design, Humans, RNA, Viral, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, and Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted

The recent SARS-CoV2 pandemic has put a great challenge on university courses. Electronics teaching requires real laboratory experiences for students, which cannot be realized if access to physical infrastructures is prohibited. A possible solution would be to distribute to students, at home, electronics equipment suitable for laboratory experiments, but no reasonable product is currently available off-the-shelf. In this paper, the design and development of a very-low-cost experimental board tailored to these needs is presented. It contains both programmable prototyping circuitry based on a microcontroller and an FPGA and a set of measurement instruments, similar to the ones found on a typical lab desk, such as a digital storage oscilloscope, multimeter, analog signal generator, logic state analyzer and digital pattern generator. A first board, suitable for analog and digital electronics experiments, has been designed and manufactured, and is described in this paper. The board has been successfully used in master's degrees and PhD courses.

Abstract: Surgical treatment of head and neck cancer causes severe tissue loss, therefore, deformities and psychosocial consequences. In cases involving orbit exenteration, satisfactory reconstruction can only be achieved with prosthetic replacement, despite successful reconstructive plastic surgery. Extraoral implants, 3D scanning, and prototyping technologies have contributed to increase satisfactory aesthetic results of oculofacial prosthesis. However, to achieve prosthetic rehabilitation refinement, patients' biological tissues have been treated with injectable cosmetic adjuncts methods as complements to results. This study aimed to describe the use of botulinum toxin type A, hyaluronic acid, and calcium hydroxyapatite previously to oculofacial prostheses manufacturing, in 5 oncologic patients of a rehabilitation unit. Outcomes produced by additional cosmetic methods on tissues, prostheses planning, and overall facial rehabilitation were observed and registered by photographs. Botulinum toxin type A, hyaluronic acid, and calcium hydroxyapatite has shown to be useful in improving asymmetries, volumizing surgical depressions and dissembling atrophic scars. Presenting an additional resource to improve overall results, enabling the manufacturing of smaller, thinner, and better-fitting oculofacial prostheses. Limitations as chronic infection and necrosis episodes, related to filler injection into previously irradiated sites, were described. The temporary effect of the materials used generates a need for reapplications but increases the safety of such procedures and enables patients' cancer treatment follow-up.
(Copyright © 2022 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.)

The memristor is the fourth fundamental element in the electronic circuit field, whose memory and resistance properties make it unique. Although there are no electronic solutions based on the memristor, interest in application development has increased significantly. Nevertheless, there are only numerical Matlab or Spice models that can be used for simulating memristor systems, and designing is limited to using memristor emulators only. A memristor emulator is an electronic circuit that mimics a memristor. In this way, a research approach is to build discrete-component emulators of memristors for its study without using the actual models. In this work, two reconfigurable hardware architectures have been proposed for use in the prototyping of a non-linearity memristor emulator: the FPAA (Field Programing Analog Arrays) and the FPGA (Field Programming Gate Array). The easy programming and reprogramming of the first architecture and the performance, high area density, and parallelism of the second one allow the implementation of this type of system. In addition, a detailed comparison is shown to underline the main differences between the two approaches. These platforms could be used in more complex analog and/or digital systems, such as neural networks, CNN, digital circuits, etc.

Additive manufacturing technology is an emerging method for rapid prototyping, which enables the creation of complex geometries by one-step fabrication processes through a layer-by-layer approach. The simplified fabrication achieved with this methodology opens the way towards a more efficient industrial production, with applications in a great number of fields such as biomedical devices. In biomedicine, blood is the gold-standard biofluid for clinical analysis. However, blood cells generate analytical interferences in many test procedures; hence, it is important to separate plasma from blood cells before analytical testing of blood samples. In this research, a custom-made resin formulation combined with a high-resolution 3D printing methodology were used to achieve a methodology for the fast prototype optimization of an operative plasma separation modular device. Through an iterative process, 17 different prototypes were designed and fabricated with printing times ranging from 5 to 12 min. The final device was evaluated through colorimetric analysis, validating this fabrication approach for the qualitative assessment of plasma separation from whole blood. The 3D printing method used here demonstrates the great contribution that this microfluidic technology will bring to the plasma separation biomedical devices market.

Background: Trauma care faces challenges to innovating their services, such as with mobile health (mHealth) app, to improve the quality of care and patients' health experience. Systematic needs inquiries and collaborations with professional and patient end users are highly recommended to develop and prepare future implementations of such innovations.
Objective: This study aimed to develop a trauma mHealth app for patient information and support in accordance with the Center for eHealth Research and Disease Management road map and describe experiences of unmet information and support needs among injured patients with trauma, barriers to and facilitators of the provision of information and support among trauma care professionals, and drivers of value of an mHealth app in patients with trauma and trauma care professionals.
Methods: Formative evaluations were conducted using quantitative and qualitative methods. Ten semistructured interviews with patients with trauma and a focus group with 4 trauma care professionals were conducted for contextual inquiry and value specification. User requirements and value drivers were applied in prototyping. Furthermore, a complementary quantitative discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted with 109 Dutch trauma surgeons, which enabled triangulation on value specification results. In the DCE, preferences were stated for hypothetical mHealth products with various attributes. Panel data from the DCE were analyzed using conditional and mixed logit models.
Results: Patients disclosed a need for more psychosocial support and easy access to more extensive information on their injury, its consequences, and future prospects. Health care professionals designated workload as an essential issue; a digital solution should not require additional time. The conditional logit model of DCE results suggested that access to patient app data through electronic medical record integration (odds ratio [OR] 3.3, 95% CI 2.55-4.34; P<.001) or a web viewer (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.64-3.31; P<.001) was considered the most important for an mHealth solution by surgeons, followed by the inclusion of periodic self-measurements (OR 2, 95% CI 1.64-2.46; P<.001), the local adjustment of patient information (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.42-2.33; P<.001), local hospital identification (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.31-2.10; P<.001), complication detection (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.21-1.84; P<.001), and the personalization of rehabilitation through artificial intelligence (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.13-1.62; P=.001).
Conclusions: In the context of trauma care, end users have many requirements for an mHealth solution that addresses psychosocial functioning; dependable information; and, possibly, a prediction of how a patient's recovery trajectory is evolving. A structured development approach provided insights into value drivers and facilitated mHealth prototype enhancement. The findings imply that iterative development should move on from simple and easily implementable mHealth solutions to those that are suitable for broader innovations of care pathways that most-but plausibly not yet all-end users in trauma care will value. This study could inspire the trauma care community.
(©Thymen Houwen, Miel A P Vugts, Koen W W Lansink, Hilco P Theeuwes, Nicky Neequaye, M Susan H Beerekamp, Margot C W Joosen, Mariska A C de Jongh. Originally published in JMIR Human Factors (https://humanfactors.jmir.org), 20.06.2022.)

Lower costs and higher employee satisfaction are some of the benefits driving organizations to adopt dispersed and virtual working arrangements. Despite these advantages, product design engineering teams-those who develop physical products-have not widely adopted this working style due to perceived critical dependence on physical facilities and the belief that it is ineffective to communicate technical details virtually. This paper uses the mass shift in working conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to explore the feasibility of virtual and distributed work in product design engineering. We conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with product design engineers working virtually to uncover current challenges of, and the beginning of promising strategies for, effective virtual engineering work. We categorize and analyze Tangible Design activities, Intangible Design activities, and Communication and Project Management activities throughout the product design process. Contrary to present opinions, we found that much of a product design engineer's work is realizable in a virtual and distributed setting. However, there are still many challenges, especially when attempting Tangible Design activities-those that require physical products and tools-from home. These challenges, missing from existing virtual product design engineering literature, include but are not limited to individuals' lessened sense of accountability, fewer de-risking opportunities before product sign-off, and limited supervision of production staff. Product design engineers described novel strategies that emerged organically to mitigate these challenges, such as creating digital alternatives for engineering reviews and sign-offs and leveraging rapid prototyping. Recent advances in technology, an increased commitment to reducing environmental impact, and better work-life balance expectations from new generations of workers will only push society faster towards a distributed working model. Thus, it is critical that we use this opportunity to understand the existing challenges for distributed product design engineers, so that organizations can best prepare and become resilient to future shocks.
(© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2022.)

Gene Library, Protein Biosynthesis, Synthetic Biology, High-Throughput Screening Assays, and Microfluidics methods

Engineering regulatory parts for improved performance in genetic programs has played a pivotal role in the development of the synthetic biology cell programming toolbox. Here, we report the development of a novel high-throughput platform for regulatory part prototyping and analysis that leverages the advantages of engineered DNA libraries, cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS), high-throughput emulsion droplet microfluidics, standard flow sorting adapted to screen droplet reactions, and next-generation sequencing (NGS). With this integrated platform, we screened the activity of millions of genetic parts within hours, followed by NGS retrieval of the improved designs. This in vitro platform is particularly valuable for engineering regulatory parts of nonmodel organisms, where in vivo high-throughput screening methods are not readily available. The platform can be extended to multipart screening of complete genetic programs to optimize yield and stability.

Background: An increasing number of schools in rural settings are implementing multi-tier positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) to address school-climate problems. PBIS can be used to provide the framework for the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to address children's mental health concerns. Given the large service disparities for children in rural areas, offering EBPs through PBIS can improve access and lead to better long-term outcomes. A key challenge is that school personnel need technical assistance in order to implement EBPs with fidelity and clinical effectiveness. Providing ongoing on-site support is not feasible or sustainable in the majority of rural schools, due to their remote physical location. For this reason, remote training technology has been recommended for providing technical assistance to behavioral health staff (BHS) in under-served rural communities.
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to use the user-centered design, guided by an iterative process (rapid prototyping), to develop and evaluate the appropriateness, feasibility, acceptability, usability, and preliminary student outcomes of two online training strategies for the implementation of EBPs at PBIS Tier 2.
Methods: The study will employ a pragmatic design comprised of a mixed-methods approach for the development of the training platform, and a hybrid type 2, pilot randomized controlled trial to examine the implementation and student outcomes of two training strategies: Remote Video vs. Remote Video plus Coaching.
Discussion: There is a clear need for well-designed remote training studies focused on training in non-traditional settings. Given the lack of well-trained mental health professionals in rural settings and the stark disparities in access to services, the development and pilot-testing of a remote training strategy for BHS in under-served rural schools could have a significant public health impact.
Ethics and Dissemination: The project was reviewed and approved by the institutional review board. Results will be submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov and disseminated to community partners and participants, peer-reviewed journals, and academic conferences.
Trial Registration: ClinicialTrials.gov, NCT05034198 and NCT05039164.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)

In 2019, the first cases of SARS-CoV-2 were detected in Wuhan, China, and by early 2020 the first cases were identified in the United States. SARS-CoV-2 infections increased in the US causing many states to implement stay-at-home orders and additional safety precautions to mitigate potential outbreaks. As policies changed throughout the pandemic and restrictions lifted, there was an increase in demand for COVID-19 testing which was costly, difficult to obtain, or had long turn-around times. Some academic institutions, including Boston University (BU), created an on-campus COVID-19 screening protocol as part of a plan for the safe return of students, faculty, and staff to campus with the option for in-person classes. At BU, we put together an automated high-throughput clinical testing laboratory with the capacity to run 45,000 individual tests weekly by Fall of 2020, with a purpose-built clinical testing laboratory, a multiplexed reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) test, robotic instrumentation, and trained staff. There were many challenges including supply chain issues for personal protective equipment and testing materials in addition to equipment that were in high demand. The BU Clinical Testing Laboratory (CTL) was operational at the start of Fall 2020 and performed over 1 million SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests during the 2020-2021 academic year.
(Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Fibers and yarns are part of everyday life. So far, fibers that are also used pharmaceutically have mainly been produced by electrospinning. The common use of spinning oils and the excipients they contain, in connection with production by melt extrusion, poses a regulatory challenge for pharmaceutically usable fibers. In this publication, a newly developed small-scale direct-spinning melt extrusion system is described, and the pharmaceutically useful polyvinyl filaments produced with it are characterized. The major parts of the system were newly developed or extensively modified and manufactured cost-effectively within a short time using rapid prototyping (3D printing) from various materials. For example, a stainless-steel spinneret was developed in a splice design for a table-top melt extrusion system that can be used in the pharmaceutical industry. The direct processing of the extruded fibers was made possible by a spinning system developed called Spinning-Rosi, which operates continuously and directly in the extrusion process and eliminates the need for spinning oils. In order to prevent instabilities in the product, further modifications were also made to the process, such as a the moisture encapsulation of the melt extrusion line at certain points, which resulted in a bubble-free extrudate with high tensile strength, even in a melt extrusion line without built-in venting.

Electrodes, Electromyography, Electronics, Clothing, and Textiles

We present a novel design for an e-textile based surface electromyography (sEMG) suit that incorporates stretchable conductive textiles as electrodes and interconnects within an athletic compression garment. The fabrication and assembly approach is a facile combination of laser cutting and heat-press lamination that provides for rapid prototyping of designs in a typical research environment without need for any specialized textile or garment manufacturing equipment. The materials used are robust to wear, resilient to the high strains encountered in clothing, and can be machine laundered. The suit produces sEMG signal quality comparable to conventional adhesive electrodes, but with improved comfort, longevity, and reusability. The embedded electronics provide signal conditioning, amplification, digitization, and processing power to convert the raw EMG signals to a level-of-effort estimation for flexion and extension of the elbow and knee joints. The approach we detail herein is also expected to be extensible to a variety of other electrophysiological sensors.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Virtual reality (VR) can provide an added value for diagnosis and/or intervention planning. Several VR software implementations have been proposed but they are often application dependent. Previous attempts for a more generic solution incorporating VR in medical prototyping software (MeVisLab) were still lacking functionality precluding easy and flexible development.
Methods: We propose an alternative solution that uses rendering to a graphical processing unit (GPU) texture to enable rendering arbitrary Open Inventor scenes in a VR context. It facilitates flexible development of user interaction and rendering of more complex scenes involving multiple objects. We tested the platform in planning a transcatheter cardiac stent placement procedure.
Results: This approach proved to enable development of a particular implementation that facilitates planning of percutaneous treatment of a sinus venosus atrial septal defect. The implementation showed it is intuitive to plan and verify the procedure using VR.
Conclusion: An alternative implementation for linking OpenVR with MeVisLab is provided that offers more flexible development of VR prototypes which can facilitate further clinical validation of this technology in various medical disciplines.
(© 2022. CARS.)

The paper focuses on the problem of detecting unmanned aerial vehicles that violate restricted airspace. The main purpose of the research is to develop an algorithm that enables the detection, identification and recognition in 3D space of a UAV violating restricted airspace. The proposed method consists of multi-sensory data fusion and is based on conditional complementary filtration and multi-stage clustering. On the basis of the review of the available UAV detection technologies, three sensory systems classified into the groups of passive and active methods are selected. The UAV detection algorithm is developed on the basis of data collected during field tests under real conditions, from three sensors: a radio system, an ADS-B transponder and a radar equipped with four antenna arrays. The efficiency of the proposed solution was tested on the basis of rapid prototyping in the MATLAB simulation environment with the use of data from the real sensory system obtained during controlled UAV flights. The obtained results of UAV detections confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed method and theoretical expectations.

Computers, Neural Networks, Computer, Artificial Intelligence, and Space Flight

Convolution Neural Networks (CNNs) are gaining ground in deep learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) domains, and they can benefit from rapid prototyping in order to produce efficient and low-power hardware designs. The inference process of a Deep Neural Network (DNN) is considered a computationally intensive process that requires hardware accelerators to operate in real-world scenarios due to the low latency requirements of real-time applications. As a result, High-Level Synthesis (HLS) tools are gaining popularity since they provide attractive ways to reduce design time complexity directly in register transfer level (RTL). In this paper, we implement a MobileNetV2 model using a state-of-the-art HLS tool in order to conduct a design space exploration and to provide insights on complex hardware designs which are tailored for DNN inference. Our goal is to combine design methodologies with sparsification techniques to produce hardware accelerators that achieve comparable error metrics within the same order of magnitude with the corresponding state-of-the-art systems while also significantly reducing the inference latency and resource utilization. Toward this end, we apply sparse matrix techniques on a MobileNetV2 model for efficient data representation, and we evaluate our designs in two different weight pruning approaches. Experimental results are evaluated with respect to the CIFAR-10 data set using several different design methodologies in order to fully explore their effects on the performance of the model under examination.

Health Personnel, Humans, Surveys and Questionnaires, and Mobile Applications

Objective: This article presents a mobile application model for the treatment tracking of in-hospital wounds.
Methods: A survey of the literature on mobile apps for wound monitoring was carried out. Health professionals were interviewed and wound forms were analyzed to synthesize the application's fields and features. We designed the application model using a prototyping tool.
Results: The prototype features interfaces for patient evaluation, different functionalities according to the role of the health professional, a dashboard for monitoring the open admissions, selection of wound locations using a body model, treatment prescribing, tracking the wounds using photos, and generating wound reports.
Conclusion: The adoption of this application could optimize wounds' treatment, increase patient safety, reduce material expenditures and time for professionals with rework in the dressing procedure.

Delivery of Health Care, Feedback, Humans, Kidney, Workflow, and Kidney Transplantation

There is a need for IT systems that support the complex needs of data management in kidney transplantation. The KidneyCloud project aims to inform a transplant-specific digital solution by exploring patient pathways and data journeys. This paper reports on the early prototyping of the KidneyCloud clinician interface using an iterative codesign methodology. User workshops identified that for making clinical decisions and adding patients to the national waiting list transplant teams relied heavily on manual processes to access data across systems and organisations. Based on the requirements gathered, a prototype interface was designed to provide a unified view on the available patient data, which aligned with clinical workflows. Interactive prototype screens allowed users to gain hands-on experience and provide rich real-time feedback. This informed the necessary functionalities of the interface, but also helped us understand the capabilities required of the back-end solution.

Argentina, Comprehensive Health Care, Humans, Latin America, Electronic Health Records, and HIV Infections

Updating electronic health record systems to meet new clinic needs and government regulations presents an ongoing challenge for health care organizations. To redesign an existing system for two HIV clinics in Argentina, we employed a three-phase approach of exploration, participatory design, and prototyping. The process and resulting architecture of the HIV-centered "RedClin" electronic health record may inform electronic health records at other clinics in Latin America and worldwide.

Cardiac Electrophysiology, Microtechnology, Prostheses and Implants, Electrophysiological Phenomena, and Neurosciences

New fabrication approaches for mechanically flexible implants hold the key to advancing the applications of neuroengineering in fundamental neuroscience and clinic. By combining the high precision of thin film microfabrication with the versatility of additive manufacturing, we demonstrate a straight-forward approach for the prototyping of intracranial implants with electrode arrays and microfluidic channels. We show that the implant can modulate neuronal activity in the hippocampus through localized drug delivery, while simultaneously recording brain activity by its electrodes. Moreover, good implant stability and minimal tissue response are seen one-week post-implantation. Our work shows the potential of hybrid fabrication combining different manufacturing techniques in neurotechnology and paves the way for a new approach to the development of multimodal implants.

Plastics, Printing, Reproducibility of Results, Microscopy, and Printing, Three-Dimensional

Live-cell microscopy imaging typically involves the use of high-quality glass-bottom chambers that allow cell culture, gaseous buffer exchange and optical properties suitable for microscopy applications. However, commercial sources of these chambers can add significant annual costs to cell biology laboratories. Consumer products in three-dimensional printing technology, for both Filament Deposition Modeling (FDM) and Masked Stereo Lithography (MSLA), have resulted in more biomedical research labs adopting the use of these devices for prototyping and manufacturing of lab plastic-based items, but rarely consumables. Here we describe a modular, live-cell chamber with multiple design options that can be mixed per experiment. Single reusable carriers and the use of biodegradable plastics, in a hybrid of FDM and MSLA manufacturing methods, reduce plastic waste. The system is easy to adapt to bespoke designs, with concept-to-prototype in a single day, offers significant cost savings to the users over commercial sources, and no loss in dimensional quality or reliability.

The laser print, cut, and laminate (PCL) method for microfluidic device fabrication can be leveraged for rapid and inexpensive prototyping of electrophoretic microchips useful for optimizing separation conditions. The rapid prototyping capability allows the evaluation of fluidic architecture, applied fields, reagent concentrations, and sieving matrix, all within the context of using fluorescence-compatible substrates. Cyclic olefin copolymer and toner-coated polyethylene terephthalate (tPeT) were utilized with the PCL technique and bonding methods optimized to improve device durability during electrophoresis. A series of separation channel designs and centrifugation conditions that provided successful loading of sieving polymer in less than 3 min was described. Separation of a 400-base DNA sizing ladder provided calculated base resolution between 3 and 4 bases, a greater than 18-fold improvement over separations on similar substrates. Finally, the accuracy and precision capabilities of these devices were demonstrated by separating and sizing DNA fragments of 147 and 167 bases as 148.62 ± 2 and 166.48 ± 3 bases, respectively.
(© 2022 The Authors. Electrophoresis published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Nanopatterning for the fabrication of optical metasurfaces entails a need for high-resolution approaches like electron beam lithography that cannot be readily scaled beyond prototyping demonstrations. Block copolymer thin film self-assembly offers an attractive alternative for producing periodic nanopatterns across large areas, yet the pattern feature sizes are fixed by the polymer molecular weight and composition. Here, a general strategy is reported which overcomes the limitation of the fixed feature size by treating the copolymer thin film as a hierarchical resist, in which the nanoscale pattern motif is defined by self-assembly. Feature sizes can then be tuned by thermal reflow controlled locally by irradiative cross-linking or chemical alteration using lithographic ultraviolet light or electron beam exposure. Using blends of polystyrene- block -poly(methylmethacrylate) (PS- b -PMMA) with PS and PMMA homopolymers, we demonstrate both self-assembled PS grating and hexagonal hole patterns; exposure-controlled reflow is then used to reduce the hole diameter by as much as 50% or increase the PS grating linewidth by more than 180%. Transferring these nanopatterns, or their inverse obtained by a lift-off approach, into silicon yields structural colors that may be prescriptively controlled based on the nanoscale feature size. Furthermore, patterned exposure enables area-selective feature size control, yielding uniform structural color patterns across centimeter square areas. Electron beam lithography is also used to show that the lithographic resolution of this selective-area control can be extended to the nanoscale dimensions of the self-assembled features. The exposure-controlled reflow approach demonstrated here takes a pivotal step toward fabricating complex, hierarchical optical metasurfaces using scalable self-assembly methods.

Aim: This paper describes the design of the 'Move More' study, which aims to develop and assess the feasibility of a social-prescribing intervention to increase physical activity among physically inactive Danes.
Background: Physical inactivity constitutes a public-health challenge in Denmark. Social prescribing may be a promising tool to tackle physical inactivity by linking physical activity support from general practitioners with community-based activities in sports clubs, as this may help physically inactive citizens become more physically active. Given the range of stakeholders and behaviours required for social prescribing of physical activity, an intervention that harnesses this approach may constitute a complex intervention. The methods and decisions made in the stages of developing complex interventions are seldom reported. The present study enabled us to describe how co-creation can be used in a pragmatic development process for a complex intervention that considers the needs of stakeholders and the conditions of the delivery context.
Methods: The study is based on the core elements of the development and feasibility phases of the Medical Research Council Framework for Developing and Evaluating Complex Interventions. Additionally, it is informed by a framework for the co-creation and prototyping of public-health interventions, drawing from a scoping review, stakeholder consultations and co-creation workshops. Ultimately, a feasibility study will be conducted to refine the programme theory by introducing the proposed intervention in case studies.
Perspectives: The study will result in a prototype intervention manual and recommendations for implementation of an adapted social-prescribing intervention targeting physical inactivity in Denmark.

Bayes Theorem, Humans, Intensive Care Units, Procalcitonin, Retrospective Studies, SARS-CoV-2, and COVID-19

Background and Objective: COVID-19 severity spans an entire clinical spectrum from asymptomatic to fatal. Most patients who require in-hospital care are admitted to non-intensive wards, but their clinical conditions can deteriorate suddenly and some eventually die. Clinical data from patients' case series have identified pre-hospital and in-hospital risk factors for adverse COVID-19 outcomes. However, most prior studies used static variables or dynamic changes of a few selected variables of interest. In this study, we aimed at integrating the analysis of time-varying multidimensional clinical-laboratory data to describe the pathways leading to COVID-19 outcomes among patients initially hospitalised in a non-intensive care setting.
Methods: We collected the longitudinal retrospective data of 394 patients admitted to non-intensive care units at the University Hospital of Padova (Padova, Italy) due to COVID-19. We trained a dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) to encode the conditional probability relationships over time between death and all available demographics, pre-existing conditions, and clinical laboratory variables. We applied resampling, dynamic time warping, and prototyping to describe the typical trajectories of patients who died vs. those who survived.
Results: The DBN revealed that the trajectory linking demographics and pre-existing clinical conditions to death passed directly through kidney dysfunction or, more indirectly, through cardiac damage. As expected, admittance to the intensive care unit was linked to markers of respiratory function. Notably, death was linked to elevation in procalcitonin and D-dimer levels. Death was associated with persistently high levels of procalcitonin from admission and throughout the hospital stay, likely reflecting bacterial superinfection. A sudden raise in D-dimer levels 3-6 days after admission was also associated with subsequent death, possibly reflecting a worsening thrombotic microangiopathy.
Conclusions: This innovative application of DBNs and prototyping to integrated data analysis enables visualising the patient's trajectories to COVID-19 outcomes and may instruct timely and appropriate clinical decisions.
(Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Electromagnetic Phenomena, Phantoms, Imaging, Prostheses and Implants, and Wireless Technology

Objective: Computational modeling is increasingly used to design charging systems for implanted medical devices. The design of these systems must often satisfy conflicting requirements, such as charging speed, specific absorption rate (SAR) and coil size. Fast electromagnetic solvers are pivotal for enabling multi-criteria optimization. In this paper, we present an analytical model based on the quasi-static approximation as a fast, yet sufficiently accurate tool for optimizing inductive charging systems.
Methods: The approximate model was benchmarked against full-wave simulations to validate accuracy and improvement in computation time. The coupling factor of two test coils was measured for lateral and axial displacements and the SAR was measured experimentally in a PAA phantom.
Results: The approximate model takes only 11 seconds to compute a single iteration, while the full-wave model takes 5 hours to compute the same case. The maximum difference with full-wave simulations was less than 24% and the mean difference less than 2%. Adding a novel figure of merit into the multi-criterion optimization resulted in a 16% higher charging speed. The measured results of the SAR and coupling factor are within a 5 mm coil offset margin.
Conclusion: The proposed approximate model succeeds as a rapid prototyping tool, enabling fast and sufficiently accurate optimization for wireless charging systems.
Significance: The approximate model is the first of its kind to compute both the coupling factor and the SAR near conducting structures fast enough to enable optimization of charging speed.

Humans, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Head and Neck Neoplasms diagnostic imaging, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods

We report a summary of developmental work to explore, develop, and establish clinical applications of real-time magnetic resonance imaging (rtMRI) with a temporal resolution of 70 frames/second in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS). Real-time MRI can contribute to procedure planning, diagnostics, rehabilitation, monitoring, and patient education. At present, conventional MRI is used extensively in the diagnosis, staging, and follow up of head and neck cancer patients, with scanning durations typically of several minutes and temporal resolution of up to 0.5 frames/second. The potential for rtMRI, where function can be assessed, could go far beyond the established clinical application of conventional MRI. Preliminary prototyping is a first stage in the establishment of rtMRI in OMFS. We follow best-practice approaches in co-creation across multiple disciplines, an indispensable aspect in the development of new methodologies and diagnostic tools.
(Copyright © 2021 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Anatomy, Veterinary, Animals, Dogs, Educational Measurement, Humans, Learning, Models, Anatomic, Printing, Three-Dimensional, and Education, Veterinary

Three-dimensional (3D) printed models of anatomic structures offer an alternative to studying manufactured, "idealized" models or cadaveric specimens. The utility of 3D printed models of the heart for clinical veterinary students learning echocardiographic anatomy is unreported. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and utility of 3D printed models of the canine heart as a supplementary teaching aid in final-year vet students. We hypothesized that using 3D printed cardiac models would improve test scores and feedback when compared with a control group. Students ( n = 31) were randomized to use either a video guide to echocardiographic anatomy alongside 3D printed models (3DMs) or video only (VO). Prior to a self-directed learning session, students answered eight extended matching questions as a baseline knowledge assessment. They then undertook the learning session and provided feedback (Likert scores and free text). Students repeated the test within 1 to 3 days. Changes in test scores and feedback were compared between 3DM and VO groups, and between track and non-track rotation students. The 3DM group had increased test scores in the non-track subgroup. Track students' test scores in the VO group increased, but not in the 3DM group. Students in the 3DM group had a higher completion rate, and more left free-text feedback. Feedback from 3DM was almost universally positive, and students believed more strongly that these should be used for future veterinary anatomy teaching. In conclusion, these pilot data suggest that 3D printed canine cardiac models are feasible to produce and represent an inclusive learning opportunity, promoting student engagement.

Drug Discovery, Humans, High-Throughput Screening Assays, and Software

Open-source projects continue to grow in popularity alongside open-source educational resources, software, and hardware tools. The impact of this increased availability of open-source technologies is that end users are empowered to have greater control over the tools that they work with. This trend extends in the life science laboratory space, where new open-source projects are routinely being published that allow users to build and modify scientific equipment specifically tailored to their needs, often at a reduced cost from equivalent commercial offerings. Recently, we identified a need for a compact orbital shaker that would be usable in temperature and humidity-controlled incubators to support the development and execution of a high-throughput suspension cell-based assay. Based on the requirements provided by staff biologists, an open-source project known as the DIYbio orbital shaker was identified on Thingiverse, then quickly prototyped and tested. The initial orbital shaker prototype based on the DIYbio design underwent an iterative prototyping and design process that proved to be straightforward due to the open-source nature of the project. The result of these efforts has been the successful initial deployment of ten shakers as of August 2021. This afforded us the scalability and efficacy needed to complete a large-scale screening campaign in less time and at less cost than if we purchased larger, less adaptable orbital shakers. Lessons learned from prototyping, modifying, validating, deploying and maintaining laboratory devices based on an open-source design in support of a full-scale drug discovery high-throughput screening effort are described within this manuscript.
(Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Escherichia coli genetics, Humans, Lab-On-A-Chip Devices, Microfluidics, Salmonella, Biosensing Techniques, and Escherichia coli Infections

Developments of portable biosensors for field-deployable detections have been increasingly important to control foodborne pathogens in regulatory environment and in early stage of outbreaks. Conventional cultivation and gene amplification methods require sophisticated instruments and highly skilled professionals; while portable biosensing devices provide more freedom for rapid detections not only in research laboratories but also in the field; however, their sensitivity and specificity are limited. Microfluidic methods have the advantage of miniaturizing instrumental size while integrating multiple functions and high-throughput capability into one streamlined system at low cost. Minimal sample consumption is another advantage to detect samples in different sizes and concentrations, which is important for the close monitoring of pathogens at consumer end. They improve measurement or manipulation of bacteria by increasing the ratio of functional interface of the device to the targeted biospecies and in turn reducing background interference. This article introduces the major active and passive microfluidic devices that have been used for bacteria sampling and biosensing. The emphasis is on particle-based sorting/enrichment methods with or without external physical fields applied to the microfluidic devices and on various biosensing applications reported for bacteria sampling. Three major fabrication methods for microfluidics are briefly discussed with their advantages and limitations. The applications of these active and passive microfluidic sampling methods in the past 5 years have been summarized, with the focus on Escherichia coli and Salmonella . The current challenges to microfluidic bacteria sampling are caused by the small size and nonspherical shape of various bacterial cells, which can induce unpredictable deviations in sampling and biosensing processes. Future studies are needed to develop rapid prototyping methods for device manufacturing, which can facilitate rapid response to various foodborne pathogen outbreaks.

Background: Following total sacrectomy, the continuity between the spine and pelvis is necessary for ambulation and to enable patients to resume daily living activities sooner during rehabilitation. Reconstructing spinopelvic stability after a total sacrectomy is a challenge that has not yet been overcome. Thus, the objectives of the present study are as follows:Establish a new system of reconstructing the spinopelvic region after a total sacrectomy using a rapid prototyping technique to design the sacral replacement pieces.Evaluate the biomechanical properties of this system.Study a new reconstruction system for the spinopelvic joint that reduces reconstruction failures after total sacrectomy, reducing postoperative complications and allowing early sitting and standing of these patients.
Methods: A sacral replacement implant was designed according to an authentic clinical case of a patient who had undergone a total sacrectomy. Using the finite element method, a biomechanical study was carried of 2 reconstructions that had been performed using the new prosthetic. The results of the study were compared with 4 other reconstruction models.
Results: A maximum von Mises stress of 112 MPa and a vertical displacement of -0.13 mm in L5 were observed in the models of the sacral implant that had been generated. A maximum rigidity of 861.5 Nm/mm was observed in the models when assuming a reduction in rigidity of more than 85% with respect to the other models assessed. In all models, maximum tension was concentrated in the rods joining L5 with the screws anchored to the pelvis.
Conclusions: The sacral prosthesis substitution after a total sacrectomy produced a profound reduction in stress in the instrumentation and the bone structure as well as smaller vertical displacement, the lowest values ever reported. These results indicated that the assembly was rigid and stable and would prevent the collapse of the spine in the pelvis. According to stress values, the replacement piece was not likely to rupture as a consequence of static load or implant fatigue.
(This manuscript is generously published free of charge by ISASS, the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery. Copyright © 2022 ISASS. To see more or order reprints or permissions, see http://ijssurgery.com.)

The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) has become essential to reduce the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as it prevents the direct contact of body fluid aerosols expelled from carriers. However, many countries have reported critical supply shortages due to the spike in demand during the outbreak in 2020. One potential solution to ease pressure on conventional supply chains is the local fabrication of PPE, particularly face shields, due to their simplistic design. The purpose of this paper is to provide a research protocol and cost implications for the rapid development and manufacturing of face shields by individuals or companies with minimal equipment and materials. This article describes a best practice case study in which the establishment of a local manufacturing hub resulted in the swift production of 12,000 face shields over a seven-week period to meet PPE shortages in the North-West region of Ireland. Protocols and processes for the design, materials sourcing, prototyping, manufacturing, and distribution of face shields are described. Three types of face shields were designed and manufactured, including Flat, Laser-cut, and 3D-printed models. Of the models tested, the Flat model proved the most cost-effective (€0.51/unit), while the Laser-cut model was the most productive (245 units/day). The insights obtained from this study demonstrate the capacity for local voluntary workforces to be quickly mobilised in response to a healthcare emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
(© 2022 The Authors.)

Autotrophic Processes, Fermentation, Oxidation-Reduction, Carbon Cycle, and Escherichia coli metabolism

Carbon-negative synthesis of biochemical products has the potential to mitigate global CO 2 emissions. An attractive route to do this is the reverse β-oxidation (r-BOX) pathway coupled to the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. Here, we optimize and implement r-BOX for the synthesis of C4-C6 acids and alcohols. With a high-throughput in vitro prototyping workflow, we screen 762 unique pathway combinations using cell-free extracts tailored for r-BOX to identify enzyme sets for enhanced product selectivity. Implementation of these pathways into Escherichia coli generates designer strains for the selective production of butanoic acid (4.9 ± 0.1 gL -1 ), as well as hexanoic acid (3.06 ± 0.03 gL -1 ) and 1-hexanol (1.0 ± 0.1 gL -1 ) at the best performance reported to date in this bacterium. We also generate Clostridium autoethanogenum strains able to produce 1-hexanol from syngas, achieving a titer of 0.26 gL -1 in a 1.5 L continuous fermentation. Our strategy enables optimization of r-BOX derived products for biomanufacturing and industrial biotechnology.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)

Computer-Aided Design, Equipment Design, Hand Strength, Printing, Three-Dimensional, and Robotics methods

Soft gripping provides the potential for high performance in challenging tasks through morphological computing; however, design explorations are limited by a combination of a difficulty in generating useful models and use of laborious fabrication techniques. We focus on a class of grippers based on granular jamming that are particularly difficult to model and introduce a "one shot" technique that exploits multimaterial three-dimensional (3D) printing to create entire grippers, including membrane and grains, in a single print run. This technique fully supports the de facto physical generate-and-test methodology used for this class of grippers, as entire design iterations can be fitted onto a single print bed and fabricated from Computer-Aided Design (CAD) files in a matter of hours. Initial results demonstrate the approach by rapidly prototyping in materio solutions for two challenging problems in unconventional design spaces; a twisting gripper that uses programmed deformations to reliably pick a coin, and a multifunctional legged robot paw that offers the ability for compliant locomotion over rough terrains, as well as being able to pick objects in cluttered natural environments. The technique also allows us to easily characterize the design space of multimaterial printed jamming grippers and provide some useful design rules. The simplicity of our technique encourages and facilitates creativity and innovation. As such, we see our approach as an enabling tool to make informed principled forays into unconventional design spaces and support the creation of a new breed of novel soft actuators.

Electromagnetic fields, Antennas (Electronics), Wireless sensor networks, and Rapid prototyping

Keywords: metallization; radio frequency performance; SLA reflector; three-dimensional printed Abstract A novel high precision and lightweight reflector antenna is proposed. The fabrication process of the reflector adopted Stereo Lithography Apparatus (SLA) printed and metallization. The proposed SLA Reflector (SLAR) antenna structure adopts three-dimensional-printed, which can design complex geometric shapes flexibly and rapid prototyping. That is a good substitute for the traditional method of millimeter wave reflector processing. In order to realize radio frequency (RF) characteristics perfectly, the metallization process of photosensitive resin was elaborated, which realized by first electroless nickel plating, then copper electroplating, and finally chromium electroplating on the protective layer. For verification, the designed reflector antenna was manufactured and measured. The reflectivity of SLAR was measured well by the bow method, which validates excellent fabrication accuracy and reliability. The gain and pattern were measured in the anechoic chamber. The results show that the proposed reflector antenna achieves the gain of 25dBi and the 3dB gain bandwidth of 43% over the full Ka-band. A good agreement can be observed between measurement and simulation. Biographical information: Liwei Guo received the B.E. degree in from the Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin, China in 2006. She is currently pursuing the PhD degree in Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin, China. Her current research interests include metasurfaces, millimeter-wave reflector antenna. Simin Li received the B.S. degree in wireless communication engineering from Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, China, in 1984, and the M.S. and PhD degrees in electronics engineering from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China, in 1989 and 2007, respectively. Dr. Li is currently the President and a Professor with Guangxi University of Science and Technology, Liuzhou, China. His current research interests include the design of electrically small antennas, antenna arrays for high-frequency communication systems, and wireless sensor networks. Xing Jiang received the Master's degree in electromagnetic field and microwave technology from Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China, in 1986. Since 2000, she has been a Professor with the Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin, China. She was sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi. Her research interests include smart communication system design, conformal antenna array, and bioelectromagnetics. Xin Liao received the B.E. degree from Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China, in 1990. He is currently a Lecturer with the Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin, China. His research interests include Electromagnetic Compatibility and antenna measurement. Ying Zhang received the B.E. degree in Harbin Institute of Technology of optical instrument. Now she is a researcher at Beijing Simulation Center. Her research interest is the simulation of visible light/infrared guidance and control systems. Bin Shi is an associate researcher- in Beijing Simulation Center. Her research interest is the simulation of radio frequency target accuracy. Article Note: Funding information Guangxi Innovation Driven Development Special Fund Project, Grant/Award Number: GUIKEAA19254012; Innovation Project of Guangxi Graduate Education, Grant/Award Number: YCBZ2019051; National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant/Award Numbers: 61761012, 61661011 Byline: Liwei Guo, Simin Li, Xing Jiang, Xin Liao, Ying Zhang, Bin Shi

Algorithm, Sensors -- Analysis, Wireless sensor networks -- Analysis, and Algorithms -- Analysis

Keywords Tissue P System; Wireless Sensor Network; Multi-Objective problem; Task Assignment; Decision Support System; Parallel computing; Sustainable computing Abstract The contemporary wireless sensor applications employ a Heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Network (HeWSN) to achieve its multi-objective missions. Modern wireless nodes constituting the HeWSN are more versatile in terms of its capabilities, functionalities, and applications. Assigning tasks in a dynamic HeWSN environment are challenging due to its inherent heterogeneous properties and capabilities. The investigation of existing task assignment algorithms reveals (i) the majority of the existing task assignment algorithms were designed for the homogeneous environment, (ii) most of the nature-inspired algorithms were built for centralized architecture. Scheduling tasks by existing task assignment algorithms lead to underutilization of resources as well as to the rapid depletion of network resources. To this end, a novel, distributed, heterogeneous task assignment algorithm adhering the modern sensors capabilities, functionalities and sensor application to attain sustainable computing is required. Based on the investigation, Tissue P-System inspired task assignment algorithm for the distributed heterogeneous WSN has been modelled. The experimental analyses of the proposed method have been self-evaluated as well as compared with the corresponding recent benchmark algorithms under various conditions and its performance metrics are analysed. Author Affiliation: Karunya Institute of Technology & Sciences, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641 114, India * Corresponding author. Article History: Received 18 November 2019; Revised 11 June 2020; Accepted 21 June 2020 (footnote) Peer review under responsibility of King Saud University. Byline: Titus Issac [titusissac@gmail.com] (*), Salaja Silas, Elijah Blessing Rajsingh

This paper presents a method for the fast prototyping of no-wait cyclic schedules for periodic material handling systems with a Grid-like Material Transportation Network (GMTN). A distribution network is modeled as a grid-like system of cyclic processes performing regular pick-up and delivery operations between workstations in separate grid modules. The considered problem boils down to a job shop cyclic scheduling problem with no-buffer and no-wait constraints, which is NP-hard. The main contribution of this research is a novel method of grid-like system decomposition into subsystems with two processes using one common resource and construction of the necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a no-wait cyclic schedule (N-WCS) of the system for given start times of the processes. The approach's novelty involves implementing a linear-complexity procedure, which allows quick testing of whether any N-WCS may exist. Due to the low computational complexity of the procedure, it is possible to determine the start times of processes initiation for delivery networks of the scale encountered in practice and calculate corresponding cyclic schedules. A set of initial states of no-wait cyclic schedules (N-WCSs) for the systems with a grid structure of arbitrary dimensions is determined based on computational examples.
(Copyright © 2022 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Additive manufacturing, also known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, relates to several rapid prototyping (RP) technologies, and has shown great potential in the manufacture of organoids and even complex bioartificial organs. A major challenge for 3D bioprinting complex org unit ans is the competitive requirements with respect to structural biomimeticability, material integrability, and functional manufacturability. Over the past several years, 3D bioprinting based on sacrificial templates has shown its unique advantages in building hierarchical vascular networks in complex organs. Sacrificial biomaterials as supporting structures have been used widely in the construction of tubular tissues. The advent of suspension printing has enabled the precise printing of some soft biomaterials (e.g., collagen and fibrinogen), which were previously considered unprintable singly with cells. In addition, the introduction of sacrificial biomaterials can improve the porosity of biomaterials, making the printed structures more favorable for cell proliferation, migration and connection. In this review, we mainly consider the latest developments and applications of 3D bioprinting based on the strategy of sacrificial biomaterials, discuss the basic principles of sacrificial templates, and look forward to the broad prospects of this approach for complex organ engineering or manufacturing.

Food Safety, Humans, Lab-On-A-Chip Devices, Microfluidics, Mobile Applications, and Smartphone

The integration of smartphones and microfluidics is nowadays the best possible route to achieve effective point-of-need testing (PONT), a concept increasingly demanded in the fields of human health, agriculture, food safety, and environmental monitoring. Nevertheless, efforts are still required to integrally seize all the advantages of smartphones, as well as to share the developments in easily adoptable formats. For this purpose, here we present the free platform appuente that was designed for the easy integration of microfluidic chips, smartphones, and the cloud. It includes a mobile app for end users, which provides chip identification and tracking, guidance and control, processing, smart-imaging, result reporting and cloud and Internet of Things (IoT) integration. The platform also includes a web app for PONT developers, to easily customize their mobile apps and manage the data of administered tests. Three application examples were used to validate appuente: a dummy grayscale detector that mimics quantitative colorimetric tests, a root elongation assay for pesticide toxicity assessment, and a lateral flow immunoassay for leptospirosis detection. The platform openly offers fast prototyping of smartphone apps to the wide community of lab-on-a-chip developers, and also serves as a friendly framework for new techniques, IoT integration and further capabilities. Exploiting these advantages will certainly help to enlarge the use of PONT with real-time connectivity in the near future.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Long-term weight maintenance after weight loss is challenging, and innovative solutions are required. Digital technologies can support behavior change and, therefore, have the potential to be an effective tool for weight loss maintenance. However, to create meaningful and effective digital behavior change interventions that support end user values and needs, a combination of persuasive system design (PSD) principles and behavior change techniques (BCTs) might be needed.
Objective: This study aimed to investigate how an evidence-informed digital behavior change intervention can be designed and developed by combining PSD principles and BCTs into design features to support end user values and needs for long-term weight loss maintenance.
Methods: This study presents a concept for how PSD principles and BCTs can be translated into design features by combining design thinking and Agile methods to develop and deliver an evidence-informed digital behavior change intervention aimed at supporting weight maintenance. Overall, 45 stakeholders participated in the systematic and iterative development process comprising co-design workshops, prototyping, Agile development, and usability testing. This included prospective end users (n=17, 38%; ie, people with obesity who had lost ≥8% of their weight), health care providers (n=9, 20%), healthy volunteers (n=4, 9%), a service designer (n=1, 2%), and stakeholders from the multidisciplinary research and development team (n=14, 31%; ie, software developers; digital designers; and eHealth, behavior change, and obesity experts). Stakeholder input on how to operationalize the design features and optimize the technology was examined through formative evaluation and qualitative analyses using rapid and in-depth analysis approaches.
Results: A total of 17 design features combining PSD principles and BCTs were identified as important to support end user values and needs based on stakeholder input during the design and development of eCHANGE, a digital intervention to support long-term weight loss maintenance. The design features were combined into 4 main intervention components: Week Plan, My Overview, Knowledge and Skills, and Virtual Coach and Smart Feedback System. To support a healthy lifestyle and continued behavior change to maintain weight, PSD principles such as tailoring, personalization, self-monitoring, reminders, rewards, rehearsal, praise, and suggestions were combined and implemented into the design features together with BCTs from the clusters of goals and planning, feedback and monitoring, social support, repetition and substitution, shaping knowledge, natural consequences, associations, antecedents, identity, and self-belief.
Conclusions: Combining and implementing PSD principles and BCTs in digital interventions aimed at supporting sustainable behavior change may contribute to the design of engaging and motivating interventions in line with end user values and needs. As such, the design and development of the eCHANGE intervention can provide valuable input for future design and tailoring of evidence-informed digital interventions, even beyond digital interventions in support of health behavior change and long-term weight loss maintenance.
Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04537988; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04537988.
(©Rikke Aune Asbjørnsen, Jøran Hjelmesæth, Mirjam Lien Smedsrød, Jobke Wentzel, Marianne Ollivier, Matthew M Clark, Julia E W C van Gemert-Pijnen, Lise Solberg Nes. Originally published in JMIR Human Factors (https://humanfactors.jmir.org), 27.05.2022.)

Background: Management of child healthcare can be negatively affected by incomplete recording, low data quality, and lack of data integration of health management information system (HMIS) to support decision making and public health program needs. Given the importance of identifying key determinants of child health via capturing and integrating accurate and high-quality information, we aim to address this gap through the development and testing requirements for an integrated child health information system.
Subjects and Method: A five-phase design thinking approach including empathizing, defining, ideation, prototyping, and testing was applied. We employed observation and interviews with the health workers at the primary health care network to identify end-users challenges and needs using tools in human-centered design and focus group discussion. Then, a potential solution to the identified problems was developed as an integrated maternal and child health information system (IMCHIS) prototype and tested using Software Quality Requirements and Evaluation Model (SQuaRE) ISO/IEC 25000.
Results: IMCHIS was developed as a web-based system with 74 data elements and seven maternal and child healthcare requirements. The requirements of "child disease" with weight (0.26), "child nutrition" with weight (0.20), and "prenatal care" with weight (0.16) acquired the maximum weight coefficient. In the testing phase, the highest score with the weight coefficient of 0.48 and 0.73 was attributed to efficiency and functionality characteristics, focusing on software capability to fulfill the tasks that meet users' needs.
Conclusion: Implementing a successful child healthcare system integrates both maternal and child healthcare information systems to track the effect of maternal conditions on child health and support managing performance and optimizing service delivery. The highest quality score of IMCHIS in efficiency and functionality characteristics confirms that it owns the capability to identify key determinants of child health.
(The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

3D printing is known as a fast, inexpensive, reproducible method for producing prototypes but is also fast becoming recognised as a scalable, advanced manufacture process. Two types of lab-scale, 3D printed plastic, fixed-film, flow-through photocatalytic reactors are described, both of which are sinusoidal in shape, and only differ in that one has no baffles, reactor A, whereas the other has, reactor B. Both reactors are lined with a P25 TiO 2 /polylactic acid (PLA) coating, which, after UVA pre-conditioning, is used to photocatalyse the bleaching of circulating aqueous solutions of either methylene blue, MB, or phenol, PhOH, repeatably, without any obvious loss of activity. The rate of the photocatalysed bleaching of MB exhibited by reactor B shows a much lower dependence upon flow rate than reactor A, due to the greater lateral mixing of the laminar flow streams produced by the baffles. The photonic efficiencies of reactor A for the photocatalysed bleaching of MB and PhOH were determined to be 0.025% and 0.052%, respectively, and the photocatalytic space-time yields (PSTY) to be 0.98 × 10 -4 and 1.49 × 10 -4 m 3 of reaction solution.m -3 reactor volume.day -1 .kW -1 , respectively. This is the first example of an all plastic, 3D printed photocatalytic reactor and demonstrates the advantages of 3D printing for prototyping. Given the 3D printing is a scalable process, possible potential areas of application are discussed briefly.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)

Laser Sintering (LS) was the first Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) method for polymers and it is now quite an established process for rapid prototyping and even for the production of functional parts. High Speed Sintering (HSS) is a variant of PBF which was later developed and it has the potential to be more scalable than LS. Most of the work for HSS and LS has been conducted with polyamide-12 (PA 12). This work reports the first effort to use polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in HSS. Well defined, simple and complex parts could be printed without any build failures. However, limitations were induced by current HSS machines which led to some curvature (warpage) in tensile bars after manufacturing. The reason for this was that all currently available machines for HSS are built for polymers such as polyamide 12, which means their maximum bed temperature is limited to 190 °C. This corresponds to the lower limit of processability of PET in PBF processes. The slightly curved tensile bars were straightened by heating them to 230 °C with a weight on top, and afterwards the mechanical properties were measured. The tensile modulus was similar to what was obtained with PET via LS but the strength and elongation-at-break (EAB) was lower. Microscopy showed that the reason for the lower strength and EAB was the incomplete melting of particles. This arose from the temperature limitation of the current generation of HSS machines. The porosity was established as 2.23% by helium pycnometry which is the same as for LS. The results of the thermal analysis indicated that the PET parts manufactured with HSS were semi-crystalline like the PET parts manufactured via LS.

Openly shared low-cost electronic hardware applications, known as open electronics, have sparked a new open-source movement, with much untapped potential to advance scientific research. Initially designed to appeal to electronic hobbyists, open electronics have formed a global "maker" community and are increasingly used in science and industry. In this perspective article we review the current costs and benefits of open electronics for use in scientific research ranging from the experimental to the theoretical sciences. We discuss how user-made electronic applications can help (I) individual researchers, by increasing the customization, efficiency, and scalability of experiments, while improving data quantity and quality; (II) scientific institutions, by improving access to customizable high-end technologies, sustainability, visibility, and interdisciplinary collaboration potential; and (III) the scientific community, by improving transparency and reproducibility, helping decouple research capacity from funding, increasing innovation, and improving collaboration potential among researchers and the public. We further discuss how current barriers like poor awareness, knowledge access and time investments can be resolved by increased documentation and collaboration and provide guidelines for academics to enter this emerging field. We highlight that open electronics are a promising and powerful tool to help scientific research to become more innovative and reproducible and offers a key practical solution to improve democratic access to science.
(© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.)

Humans, Intelligence, and Software

Sensor networks have dynamically expanded our ability to monitor and study the world. Their presence and need keep increasing, and new hardware configurations expand the range of physical stimuli that can be accurately recorded. Sensors are also no longer simply recording the data, they process it and transform into something useful before uploading to the cloud. However, building sensor networks is costly and very time consuming. It is difficult to build upon other people's work and there are only a few open-source solutions for integrating different devices and sensing modalities. We introduce REIP, a Reconfigurable Environmental Intelligence Platform for fast sensor network prototyping. REIP's first and most central tool, implemented in this work, is an open-source software framework, an SDK, with a flexible modular API for data collection and analysis using multiple sensing modalities. REIP is developed with the aim of being user-friendly, device-agnostic, and easily extensible, allowing for fast prototyping of heterogeneous sensor networks. Furthermore, our software framework is implemented in Python to reduce the entrance barrier for future contributions. We demonstrate the potential and versatility of REIP in real world applications, along with performance studies and benchmark REIP SDK against similar systems.

Biocompatible Materials chemistry, Humans, Hydrogels chemistry, Tissue Scaffolds chemistry, Graphite, and Peripheral Nerve Injuries

Peripheral neuropathies can occur as a result of axonal damage, and occasionally due to demyelinating diseases. Peripheral nerve damage is a global problem that occurs in 1.5%-5% of emergency patients and may lead to significant job losses. Today, tissue engineering-based approaches, consisting of scaffolds, appropriate cell lines, and biosignals, have become more applicable with the development of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technologies. The combination of various hydrogel biomaterials with stem cells, exosomes, or bio-signaling molecules is frequently studied to overcome the existing problems in peripheral nerve regeneration. Accordingly, the production of injectable systems, such as hydrogels, or implantable conduit structures formed by various bioprinting methods has gained importance in peripheral neuro-engineering. Under normal conditions, stem cells are the regenerative cells of the body, and their number and functions do not decrease with time to protect their populations; these are not specialized cells but can differentiate upon appropriate stimulation in response to injury. The stem cell system is under the influence of its microenvironment, called the stem cell niche. In peripheral nerve injuries, especially in neurotmesis, this microenvironment cannot be fully rescued even after surgically binding severed nerve endings together. The composite biomaterials and combined cellular therapies approach increases the functionality and applicability of materials in terms of various properties such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, and processability. Accordingly, this study aims to demonstrate the preparation and use of graphene-based biohybrid hydrogel patterning and to examine the differentiation efficiency of stem cells into nerve cells, which can be an effective solution in nerve regeneration.