UXO-AID: A New UXO Classification Application Based on Augmented Reality to Assist Deminers

Unexploded ordnance (UXO) is a worldwide problem and a long-term hazard because of its ability to harm humanity by remaining active and destructive decades after a conflict has concluded. In addition, the current UXO clearance methods mainly involve manual clearance and depend on the deminer’s experience. However, this approach has a high misclassification rate, which increases the likelihood of an explosion ending the deminer’s life. This study proposes a new approach to identifying the UXO based on augmented reality technology. The methodology is presented based on two phases. Firstly, a new dataset of UXO samples is created by printing 3D samples and building a 3D model of the object data file with accurate data for 3D printed samples. Secondly, the development of the UXO-AID mobile application prototype, which is based on augmented reality technology, is provided. The proposed prototype was evaluated and tested with different methods. The prototype’s performance was measured at different light intensities and distances for testing. The testing results revealed that the application could successfully perform in excellent and moderate lighting with a distance of 10 to 30 cm. As for recognition accuracy, the overall recognition success rate of reached 82.5%, as the disparity in the number of features of each object affected the accuracy of object recognition. Additionally, the application’s ability to support deminers was assessed through a usability questionnaire submitted by 20 deminers. The questionnaire was based on three factors: satisfaction, effectiveness, and efficiency. The proposed UXO-AID mobile application prototype supports deminers to classify the UXO accurately and in real time, reducing the cognitive load of complex tasks. UXO-AID is simple to use, requires no prior training, and takes advantage of the wide availability of mobile devices

The Use of Web Technology and IoT to Contribute to the Management of Blood Banks in Developing Countries

Health-care-sector-related activities are more accessible and faster as a result of technological development. Technology such as the Internet of Things (IoT) can work with blood bank services to manage and provide healthy blood in emergencies. However, there are many problems in blood bank management and inventory monitoring, especially in developing countries as compared to developed ones. The lack of an adequate and safe blood supply is a major limitation to health care in the developing world. The instability of the electric power in developing countries may lead to a temperature departure from the recommended for keeping blood inventory, and the use of manual systems, which are characterized by time and resource exhaustion and human mistakes, augments the management problems. This study aims to introduce a reliable, practical application to manage and organize the blood bank, manage donor information, monitor inventory, and obtain matching blood types as quickly as possible. The proposed system was designed and implemented in two parts: using Web technology for enhanced data management and using an IoT sensor for blood inventory temperature monitoring in real time. The test stage helped us to measure the Web application’s functionality with sensors, and the results were encouraging. Obtaining and monitoring blood bank data were made easier in real time by using the black box method for functionalities testing. The evaluation step was performed using a questionnaire instrument based on three parameters: Satisfaction, Effectiveness, and Efficiency. The questionnaire was answered by 22 participants working in the blood bank management field. The results indicated that end users generally responded positively to the system which improved blood bank administration and services. This indicated efficiency of the application and the desire to adopt it. Integrating the two technologies can enhance usability and applicability in the health care sector

Empower Generations: Longitudinal Study for National Capacities in Life Sciences and Healthcare

Background: The decrease in the number of adolescents showing genuine interest in the fields of healthcare has been one of the recent concerns worldwide. A plethora of studies have discussed the factors that influence career choices of high school students, including science educational pedagogies, gender, environment, the student’s cognitive capabilities, and social perceptions of occupations being gender-based. As reported in 2012, a majority of the Qatari high-school students have shown a greater interest in business, technological, and administrative careers and a lower interest in healthcare. Comprehensive national and institutional strategies have since been utilized to direct the interest of Qatari generation toward healthcare careers. Objective: The primary objective of this case-control study is to assess the effect of schooling type on the enrollment in the Empower Generations (EG) career training in healthcare at the Qatar University. The secondary objectives are: (1) to describe the effect of initial career interest on the EG and healthcare majors composite’s enrollments and (2) assess the association between the history of enrollment in EG and university GPAs. Method: This is a case-control study that utilized the Qatar University’s enrollment databases for the health professions majors, that is, Health Sciences, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dentistry. The datasets were collected from the registration records between 2013 and 2020. The statistical analysis was performed on the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 26; the study used Chi-Square Test and Independence and logistic regression to assess the effect of schooling type and initial career interest on the enrollment in the EG training at the Qatar University. All statistics were tested for p = 0.05 and 95% CI. Results: Total QU-Health records of admissions from 2013 to 2020 involve 562 eligible students. A total of 180 students (32%) attended EG training before they were admitted to QU-Health, whereas a total of 382 (68%) were enrolled to QU-Health without attending EG training. The study revealed significant findings regarding the association between EG training and international schools (p < 0.001). Among the group who attended EG training, there were 63 students (75%) who reported that they did not have an initial career interest before they joined the EG training compared to 21 students (25%) reported that they did not have an initial career interest but enrolled immediately to healthcare majors. The findings indicate insignificant association between the history of EG training and the high school percentage p = 0.397. However, the association between a history of EG training and the university’s GPA is significant, with a p < 0.001, OR 5.016 (2.954–8.518). Conclusion: The study has shown significant association between the EG training enrollment and the type of school and the initial career interest of high school students. The EG training is perceived to direct the interest of high school students toward the careers of healthcare and is thought to enhance the performance of college students through their university’s GPAs

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licenseBackground: Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide. Methods: A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study—a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3·85 [95% CI 2·58–5·75]; p<0·0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63·0% vs 82·7%; OR 0·35 [0·23–0·53]; p<0·0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer. Interpretation: Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised. Funding: National Institute for Health and Care Research