NURSES’ EXPERIENCES WITH THE USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: AN EXPLORATORY RESEARCH

Para identificar a experiência de enfermeiros com computadores na atenção primária, foi realizada uma pesquisa exploratória do tipo Survey de abordagem quantitativa desenvolvida com 152 enfermeiros da Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de uma capital do Sul do Brasil, pelo preenchimento do Questionário Staggers sobre a Experiência Computacional de Enfermeiros, entre setembro de 2014 e janeiro de 2015. Na amostra, profissionais do sexo feminino n=146 (96,05%), assistenciais n=67 (44,08%) e especialistas n=59 (38,82%), na faixa etária entre 31 e 40 anos n=70 (46,05%), e com tempo de atuação de até 10 anos n=68 (44,74%), referem utilizar computadores com frequência n=122 (80%), para atividades assistenciais e administrativas. Conclui-se que o computador está presente neste processo de trabalho de enfermagem, entretanto, são necessárias ações de educação permanente para melhor incorporação das competências em informática, visando utilização efetiva das tecnologias da informação e comunicação nos serviços de saúde e de enfermagem na atenção primária.An exploratory research (survey) using a quantitative method was conducted to identify the experiences of nurses with the use of information technology in primary health care. The research involved 152 nurses of the Health Department of a city in Southern Brazil. The respondents completed the questionnaire Staggers on Nursing Computing Experience between September 2014 and January 2015. In the sample, female professionals n=146 (96.05%), assistant nurses n=67 (44.08%) and specialists n=59 (38.82%), aged 31-40 years n=70 (46.05%), with up to 10 years of experience n=68 (44.74%), reported frequent use of computers n=122 (80%), in care and administrative activities. It is concluded that computers are part of the nursing activities. However, permanent educational actions are needed to improve the incorporation and effective use of information technology skills in health care services and nursing in primary health care.Para identificar la experiencia con computadores de enfermeros de atención primaria, se realizó investigación exploratoria tipo Survey, de abordaje cuantitativo, desarrollada con 152 enfermeros de la Secretaría Municipal de Salud de capital del Sur de Brasil, mediante completado del Cuestionario Staggers sobre Experiencia en Computación de Enfermeros, entre setiembre 2014 y enero 2015. Constitución de la muestra: profesionales de sexo femenino n=146 (96,05%), de atención n=67 (44,08%) y especialistas n=59 (38,82%), en faja etaria entre 31 y 40 años n=70 (46,05%), tiempo de actuación hasta 10 años n=68 (44,74%), informan uso frecuente de computadores n=122 (80%), para actividades de atención y administrativas. Se concluye que el computador está presente en este proceso de trabajo de enfermería, aunque se necesitan acciones de educación permanente para optimizar compresión de competencias informáticas, apuntando a utilización efectiva de tecnologías de información y comunicación en servicios de salud y enfermería en la atención primaria

Data S1: Data

We present the evaluation of two well-known, low-cost consumer-grade EEG devices: the Emotiv EPOC and the Neurosky MindWave. Problems with using the consumer-grade EEG devices (BCI illiteracy, poor technical characteristics, and adverse EEG artefacts) are discussed. The experimental evaluation of the devices, performed with 10 subjects asked to perform concentration/relaxation and blinking recognition tasks, is given. The results of statistical analysis show that both devices exhibit high variability and non-normality of attention and meditation data, which makes each of them difficult to use as an input to control tasks. BCI illiteracy may be a significant problem, as well as setting up of the proper environment of the experiment. The results of blinking recognition show that using the Neurosky device means recognition accuracy is less than 50%, while the Emotiv device has achieved a recognition accuracy of more than 75%; for tasks that require concentration and relaxation of subjects, the Emotiv EPOC device has performed better (as measured by the recognition accuracy) by ∼9%. Therefore, the Emotiv EPOC device may be more suitable for control tasks using the attention/meditation level or eye blinking than the Neurosky MindWave device

Analysis of logistic processes using the software tecnomatix plant simulation

Application of the simulation tools within the framework of a large spectrum of various logistic processes is becoming a common obviosity on the present. The simulation tool enables to obtain such information, which is unidentifiable in the current practice, however this information is a valuable informational source for a following evaluation of the logistic processes. This article presents analysis of a logistic system using the simulation model created by means of the software product Tecnomatix Plant Simulation. © Copyright AGH-UST, Kraków, Polska, 2016

Voltammetry in Determination of Trace Amounts of Lanthanides—A Review

This paper presents an overview of approaches proposed in the scientific literature for the voltammetric determination of rare earth elements (mainly cerium and europium individually, as well as various lanthanides simultaneously) in manifold kinds of samples. The work is divided into chapters describing the most important aspects affecting the sensitivity of the proposed methods: the technique adopted (AdSV, ASV, CSV), complexing agents used, the kind of working electrode (mercury-based, noble metal or carbon electrodes) and the most popular electrode modifiers (e.g., metal film, carbon nanotubes, molecularly imprinted polymers). Analytical parameters of the procedures presented in the paper are collected in tables. The subsequent chapters are devoted to a detailed discussion of potential inorganic and organic interfering factors. The possibilities of simultaneous determination of several lanthanides in one sample and the influence of other lanthanides on the determined rare earth element were also discussed. Finally, the applications of the voltammetric procedures to the determination of rare earth metals in real samples with miscellaneous matrix is described. All analytical results were tabulated in order to compare the analytical suitability of the proposed procedures

Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes/Spherical Glassy Carbon as Environmentally Friendly Adsorption Materials Utilized in Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetry for the Determination of Trace Amounts of Ga(III)

This work presents a proposal for an adsorptive stripping voltammetric (AdSV) method for gallium(III) determination at an eco-friendly multiwall carbon nanotube/spherical glassy carbon (MWCNT/SGC) electrode modified with a lead film. The operational factors influencing the sensitivity of the AdSV procedure were thoroughly investigated, and their most favorable values were chosen (0.1 mol L−1 acetate buffer solution pH = 5.6; 7 × 10−5 mol L−1 Pb(II); 2 × 10−4 mol L−1 cupferron; potential/time of lead film formation: −1.9 V/30 s; potential/time of Ga(III)–cupferron adsorption: −0.75 V/30 s). The newly developed MWCNT/SGCE has proven to be a competitive substrate to the glassy carbon electrode to create a lead film electrode, since it allows the determination of gallium in a wider range of concentrations from 3 × 10−9 to 4 × 10−7 mol L−1 with a lower limit of detection equal to 9.5 × 10−10 mol L−1. The elaborated procedure has been shown to be highly selective and insensitive to the presence of an even 100-fold excess of most of the ions commonly found in environmental waters. The MWCNT/SGC sensor, which can maintain >95% of its original response after 70 days of use, has been successfully applied for the detection of gallium in water samples with the relative standard deviation (RSD) ranging from 4.5% to 6.2% (n = 3) and recoveries in the range from 95.3% to 104.9%

Determination of chromium, selenium and molybdenum in a therapeutic diet

Monitoring both the trace element and main element content of drugs forms part of their quality control. Chromium, selenium and molybdenum were determined in therapeutic diet samples by inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). Samples were digested by high pressure microwave digestion or by ashing in oven. ICP-MS measurements have demonstrated that the chromium determination in liquid therapeutic diet should be estimated on the basis of Cr-53. In solid samples in some cases the value for Cr was elevated in comparison with the Cr content found by ET-AAS. The content of selenium can be determined on the basis of Se-77 or Se-82 after appropriate interference correction. Molybdenum content was determined on the basis of Mo-95. Control measurements were made by ET-AAS. For quality assurance purposes some of the samples were analyzed by a control laboratory

Simulations as an Assessment Tool for the Feasibility of Logistics Innovations Motivated by the Emergence of Supply Chain Risk

In carrying out manufacturing processes, an important role is played by the supply chain. Proper functioning of the supply chain is affected by several factors, the parameters and manifestation of which may change under situations of crises. However, disruptions may not solely pose a threat to supply chains that should be avoided. In some cases, the presence of risk may have a positive side to it, namely being the motivating factor initiating innovation. This may result in improvement of the status quo, increase in productivity and creating ways of eliminating consequences of risk. On a concrete example, the paper shall describe how innovation, spurred by crisis brought about by the current pandemic situation, can be implemented to the supply chain in the automotive sector