Wyatt Technology (China)

The purpose of this study was to describe the current evidence found through a patent search about robotics used to assist nurses in providing care. The authors used a modified seven-step strategy of searching patents according to the US Patent and Trademark Office guidelines. The nursing robotic search was performed in four databases including the US Patent and Trademark Office issued patent database, the US Patent and Trademark Office published patent application database, the European Patent Office database, and Relecura. Keywords reflecting the scope of the term "robot" were defined for the purposes of this specific search. This broad search yielded large numbers of patents germane to nursing care. These results were narrowed using keywords and the Cooperative Patent Classification schemes to determine relevance, ensure rigor, and capture the most relevant results. This review of patents suggests robots for nursing care are proliferating. The opportunity for robotics in nursing is emerging in industry. Although nursing will likely benefit from robotics, we must determine the appropriate place to include robots in nursing care delivery.

Abstract Rationale Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) present a large amount of respiratory damage caused in large part by chronic neutrophil influx into the lung. Neutrophils recruited to the lumen of the CF lung actively exocytose neutrophil elastase (NE) and other damaging molecules. Airway NE levels correlate strongly with disease severity in patients with CF. We previously showed that extracellular vesicles (EVs) from patients with other lung diseases carry NE and promote emphysema in a mouse model (Genschmer et al. 2019). Here, we hypothesized that airway NE also compartmentalizes within EVs in CF patients. Methods To avoid potential aggregation and purification biases, we gently sorted EVs from CF sputum samples using asymmetrical flow field flow fractionation (aF4). Sputum EV fractions were then subjected to analysis by multi-angle light scattering, nanoparticle tracking analysis and flow cytometry. Results Multi-angle light scattering and nanoparticle tracking analyses demonstrate the presence of EVs of different sizes ranging from 40–500 nm, with a concentration of ~5 × 107 EVs/mL. EVs were separated by size with aF4 and downstream flow cytometry analysis showed that discrete subfractions concentrate NE on their surface, but that NE burden was not proportional to size. Conclusions Our data show that there are discrete subtypes of EVs released by neutrophils carrying various amounts of NE on their surface. These findings provide evidence for a role of EVs in promoting inflammation in the lungs of patients with CF.

The Deep South Network for Cancer Control (DSNCC), initiated in 2000, is a dual-state, community-based participatory research infrastructure composed of academic and community partners committed to reducing cancer disparities among underserved African Americans in 12 designated counties of the Alabama Black Belt and the Mississippi Delta, 2 historically underserved areas of the country. Local residents trained as Community Health Advisors as Research Partners implemented a 3-tier community action plan (CAP) focused on promoting cancer screening, physical activity, and nutrition. Breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening, healthy eating habits, and physical activity levels increased among many, but not all, African American women in the 12-county DSNCC coverage area. Seeking to improve our reach to include participants who reported they had never heard of the DSNCC or participated in the CAP, we conducted in-depth conversations with community residents about reasons for selective nonparticipation and ways to improve participation in the DSNCC community health interventions. Three patterns and their associated themes described ways to improve the penetration of CAP strategies and tailor them to effectively reach underserved African Americans in the intervention counties. We conclude with lessons learned for future interventions.

Summary The thermal-enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) steam-generation projects in Persian Gulf oil fields are on such a large scale that they affect an entire country's economic position. As such, the policies related to oilfield steam generation should be decided at the national level by use of the cost of the marginal fuel. This paper calculates the steam cost for three methods: once-through steam generator, once-through heat-recovery steam generator, and solar steam generator. Detailed performance and economic models of the steam-generation methods were created and used to calculate the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and the fuel break-even (FBE) price. The environmental and economic burdens on the cost of steam generation are explored. The effect of fuel price on the cost of steam is also analyzed, with a focus on the marginal fuel price. Finally, the limitation of cogeneration in an isolated oil field, where the energy demand necessitates electricity-matched cogeneration, was analyzed. This limitation, along with the steam cost at the marginal fuel price, provides the decision maker with a steam-supply curve. For the case analyzed in this paper, the cost of solar steam is lower than that of cogeneration or a simple boiler for fuel prices greater than USD 5/million Btu.

Two- and three-dimensional assembly of nanoparticles has generated significant interest because these higher order structures could exhibit collective behaviors/properties beyond those of the individual nanoparticles. Highly specific interactions between molecules, which biology exploits to regulate molecular assemblies such as DNA hybridization, often provide inspiration for the construction of higher order materials using bottom-up approaches. In this study, higher order assembly of virus-like particles (VLPs) derived from the bacteriophage P22 is demonstrated by using a small adaptor protein, Dec, which binds to symmetry specific sites on the P22 capsid. Two types of connector proteins, which have different number of P22 binding sites and different geometries (ditopic linker with liner geometry and tetratopic linker with tetrahedral geometry) have been engineered through either a point mutation of Dec or genetic fusion with another protein, respectively. Bulk assembly and layer-by-layer deposition of P22 VLPs from solution was successfully achieved using both of the engineered multi-topic linker molecules, while Dec with only a single binding site does not mediate P22 assembly. Beyond the two types of linkers developed in this study, a wide range of different connector geometries could be envisioned using a similar engineering approach. This is a powerful strategy to construct higher order assemblies of VLP based nanomaterials.

The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns. John C. Bogle. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007, ISBN 0-470-10210-1, 208 pages. - Volume 8 Issue 2