Functionalized orthopaedic implant as pH electrochemical sensing tool for smart diagnosis of hardware infection

In the orthopaedic surgery field, the use of medical implants to treat a patient's bone fracture is nowadays a common practice, nevertheless, it is associated with possible cases of infection. The consequent hardware infection can lead to implant failure and systemic infections, with prolonged hospitalization, time-consuming rehabilitation treatments, and extended antibiotic therapy. Hardware infections are strictly related to bacterial adhesion to the implant, leading to infection occurrence and consequent pH decreasing from physiological level to acid pH. Here, we demonstrate the new strategy to use an orthopaedic implant functionalized with iridium oxide film as the working electrode for the potentiometric monitoring of pH in hardware infection diagnosis. A functional investigation was focused on selecting the implant material, namely titanium, titanium alloy, and stainless steel, and the component, namely screws and implants. After selecting the titanium-based implant as the working electrode and a silver wire as the reference electrode in the final configuration of the smart sensing orthopaedic implant, a calibration curve was performed in standard solutions. An equation equal to y = (0.76 +/- 0.02) - (0.068 +/- 0.002) x, R2 = 0.996, was obtained in the pH range of 4-8. Subsequently, hysteresis, interference, matrix effect, recovery study, and storage stability were investigated to test the overall performance of the sensing device, demonstrating the tremendous potential of electrochemical sensors to deliver the next generation of smart orthopaedic implants.Herein, we demonstrate a new strategy to use an orthopaedic implant functionalized with iridium oxide film as the working electrode for the potentiometric monitoring of pH in hardware infection diagnosis

Isometric Sets of Words and Generalizations of the Fibonacci Cubes

The hypercube Q(n) is a graph whose 2(n) vertices can be associated to all binary words of length n in a way that adjacent vertices get words that differ only in one symbol. Given a word f, the subgraph Q(n)(f) is defined by selecting all vertices not containing f as a factor. A word f is said to be isometric if Q(n)(f) is an isometric subgraph of Q(n), i.e., keeping the distances between the remaining nodes. Graphs Q(n)(f) were defined and studied as a generalization of Fibonacci cubes Q(n)(11). Isometric words have been completely characterized using combinatorial methods for strings.We introduce the notion of isometric sets of words with the aim of capturing further interesting cases in the scenario of isometric subgraphs of the hypercubes. We prove some combinatorial properties and study special interesting cases

Exploring the Use of Experiential Learning Methods to Increase CBRNe Awareness and Emergency Preparedness of Children

In recent years, there has been an increase in chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive incidents, often involving or specifically targeting children. These emerging threats pose a significant risk to the physical, psychological, and social wellbeing of children and can cause damaging effects on their development and growth. Children are more susceptible to the lethal effects of CBRNe agents and require increased protection, specialized intervention and medical countermeasures, and expert mental health support post-incident. The Hyogo Framework established a widely adopted international commitment to educating children about disasters, through which many nations have implemented disaster risk reduction education platforms focused on increasing their knowledge about potential hazards. However, few countries have begun to explore the benefits of introducing a comprehensive CBRNe awareness and preparedness curriculum to children. Studies have shown that experiential learning methods offer a highly engaging and immersive learning experience and increase educational outcomes. This work aims to explore the potential benefits of developing an interactive educational tool to introduce basic skills to prepare children and communities against CBRNe incidents

Digital transformation in ecosystems: integrated operations model and its application to fifth-party logistics operators

PurposeThe logistics industry has undergone a tremendous transformation. This transformation is necessary to cope with the fundamental changes in customer expectations and the need for digitalization imposed by the pandemic, changes in the socioeconomic world, and innovative technology solutions. This paper aims to present digital transformation as an integrated framework for transforming the operating model and applying advanced solutions to the ecosystem of a quintile logistics (5PL) company. 5PL operators are typically an ecosystem. Loosely coupled or self-organized entities that collaborate in a symbiotic relationship represent this ecosystem. They aim to jointly develop capabilities, create innovative services or solutions, share knowledge, facilitate transactions, and leverage network synergies in a logistics environment to provide optimized or novel customer- or partner-centric solutions (Lamberjohann and Otto, 2020).Design/methodology/approachCurrently, there is no single definition of an integrated logistics operations model in 5PL practice, so the qualitative method used in this paper allows for investigation from an exploratory perspective. The paper follows a qualitative research methodology, collecting and analyzing data/facts through interviews and visits to subject matter experts, industry practitioners, and academic researchers, combined with an extensive review of academic publications, industry reports, and written and media content from established organizations in the marketplace. This paper follows a qualitative research methodology, as it is an inquiry rather than a statistical study. The qualitative method allows the study of the concepts of phenomena and definitions, their characteristics, and the defining features that serve as the basis (Berg, 2007). It emphasizes generalized interpretation and deeper understanding of concepts, which would be more difficult in quantitative, statistically based research. Fact-finding was conducted in two ways: in-depth interviews with experts from academia, information and communication technology organizations, and key players in the logistics industry; and academic publications, industry reports, and written and media content from established national and international organizations in the market.FindingsThe operations model introduced considers six aspects: persons, processes, platforms, partners, protection and preservation. A virtual team approach can support the personal side of the 5PL ecosystem's digital transformation. Managing a 5PL ecosystem should be based on collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment methods (Parsa et al., 2020). A digital platform can support trust among the stakeholders in the ecosystem. A blockchain solution can powerfully support the 5PL ecosystem from partner relationships' points of view. The implementation of a cybersecurity reference model is important for protection (Bandari, 2023). Reverse logistics and an integrated approach support the preservation of the ecosystem.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the author has experience applying the different components of the operations model presented, it would be interesting to find a 5PL that would use all the components presented in an integrated way. The operations model presented applies to any similar ecosystem with minor adaptations.Practical implicationsThis paper addresses operations models and digital transformation challenges for optimizing 5PL operators.It provides several opportunities and considerations for 5PL operators interested in improving their management and operations to cope with the growing challenges of today's world.Social implicationsThe competitiveness and long-term performance of 5PL operators depend on selecting and carefully implementing their operations models. This paper emphasizes the importance of using advanced operations models.Originality/valueThe operations model derives from the author's personal experiences in research and the innovative application of these models to logistics operators (DHL, UPS, Poste Italiane and others). This paper brings together academic and industry perspectives and operations models in an integrated business digital transformation. This paper defines an original optimal operations model for a 5PL operator and can add sustainable value to organizations and society. In doing so, it outlines different solution requirements, the critical success factors and the challenges for solutions and brings logistical performance objectives when implementing a digital business transformation

On political ambiguity and anti-median platforms

This paper constructs a new, information-based explanation for political ambiguity and the success of anti-median platforms. It argues that voters' and candidates' correlated preferences about the appropriate policy combined with ambiguous platforms can help candidates with non-median preferences increase their support and even win against a median candidate. I show how ambiguity can arise in a standard citizen-candidate setting where voters have different preferences, in its extension with primaries, and even in a Condorcet jury model where disagreement arises only from differences in voters' information. The paper also offers a formal framework that allows for dog whistle politics. The model illustrates how ambiguity can have important negative welfare implications. Specifically, I show that despite having ex-ante identical preferences with voters, politicians may choose ambiguous platforms even if voters would be keen on banning them

Head CT Scans in the Emergency Department during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Use or Overuse?

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic seemed to mainly involve the respiratory system, but it was realized that it could affect any organ, including the CNS. The pandemic has followed a wave-like trend, with its peaks being due to the COVID-19 different variants and the introduction of the vaccine, which led to an apparent reduction in hospitalizations but also brought about perplexities related to its adverse effects. The aim of this study was to analyze the changes in the use of head CT/contrast CT and their impacts on the onset of cerebrovascular disease in our emergency department during the COVID-19 period and the vaccine rollout. Methods: Patients >= 18 years old admitted to our emergency department from January 2018 to September 2021 were enrolled. The patients were divided into three groups. The COVID-19 period included patients who visited our emergency department from 1 March 2020 to 31 January 2021; the vaccine period was considered to range from 1 February 2021 to 30 September 2021. The patients who visited the emergency department from 1 January 2018 to 31 January 2020 were considered the controls. Results: We found an increase in head CT/contrast CT requests during the COVID-19 period and increase in head contrast CT during the vaccine period, without an increase in the incidence of cerebrovascular disease. Conclusions: The uncertainty regarding the possible thrombotic events associated with COVID-19 and its vaccine increased the relative use of head CT/contrast CT by about 20% compared to the control perio