Traditional Instruction Versus Virtual Reality Simulation: A Comparative Study of Phlebotomy Training among Nursing Students in Kuwait

This quasi-experimental study compared differences in phlebotomy performance on a live client, between a control group taught through the traditional method and an experimental group using virtual reality simulation. The study showed both groups had performed successfully, using the following metrics: number of reinsertions, pain factor, hematoma status, duration of tourniquet application, time to complete the procedure, and successful completion of procedure. Utilizing t-test in comparing the control and experimental groups, no performance metric was found to be significant. Total time to complete the procedure for both groups had the lowest p value, but was of no significance. Both methods for phlebotomy training were found to be equally effective. Nurse educators are challenged  to recognize the advantages and limitations of both methods to pave their way in an enhanced quality phlebotomy program. Keywords: Traditional method, Virtual reality simulation, Phlebotomy, Performance metrics 

EUCLID: EdUcational curriculum for the usage of LInked data

Linked Data has established itself as an emerging standard for the publication of structured data over the Web, enjoying amazing growth in terms of the number of organizations committing to use its best practices and technologies for ex- posing and interlinking data sets for seamless exchange, integration, and reuse. More and more ICT ventures offer innovative data management services on top of Linked (Open) Data, creating a demand for data practitioners with a back- ground in semantic technologies. Ensuring the availability of such expertise will prove crucial if European businesses are to reap the full benefits of the advanced data management technology, and the know-how accumulated over the past years by researchers, technology enthusiasts and early adopters in various European countries. EUCLID had a major contribution to this goal by providing a com- prehensive educational curriculum, supported by multi-modal training materials and state-of-the-art eLearning distribution channels, tailored to the real needs of data practitioners. Building upon experience reports from over twenty Linked Data projects with over forty companies and public offices in more than ten countries, complemented by feedback from hundreds of training events, and an in-depth analysis of the community discourse through mailing lists, discussion forums, Twitter, and the blogosphere, the curriculum focuses on techniques and software to integrate, query, and visualize Linked Data, as core areas in which practitioners state to require most assistance. It is realized as a combination of multi-modal learning resources, including an iBook published on iTunes U, and evaluated through webinars, f2f training, and continuous community feedback. By providing these key knowledge-transfer components, EUCLID will not only promote the industrial uptake of Linked Data best practices and technologies, but, most importantly, will contribute to their further development and consol- idation, and support the sustainability of the community, all essential aspects given the rapid pace at which the field has recently advanced

Computational requirements of the virtual patient

Medical visualization in a hospital can be used to aid training, diagnosis, and pre- and intra-operative planning. In such an application, a virtual representation of a patient is needed that is interactive, can be viewed in three dimensions (3D), and simulates physiological processes that change over time. This paper highlights some of the computational challenges of implementing a real time simulation of a virtual patient, when accuracy can be traded-off against speed. Illustrations are provided using projects from our research based on Grid-based visualization, through to use of the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

Vulnerable Customers\u27 Perception of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Banking Sector in a Post-Crisis Context

This research aims to determine to what extent corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions developed by bank entities in Spain improve the vulnerable customers\u27 emotions and quality perception of the banking service. Consequently, this increases the quality of their relationship regarding satisfaction, trust and engagement

Evaluation of Transgenic ‘Chardonnay' ( Vitis vinifera ) Containing Magainin Genes for Resistance to Crown Gall and Powdery Mildew

Magainins, short peptides with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity in vitro, were assayed for their ability to confer resistance to pathogens in transgenic grapevines. Embryogenic cell suspensions of ‘Chardonnay' (Vitis vinifera L.) were co-transformed by microprojectile bombardment with a plasmid carrying the npt-II gene and a second plasmid harboring either a natural magainin-2 (mag2) or a synthetic derivative (MSI99) gene. Magainin genes and the marker gene were driven by Arabidopsis ubiquitin-3 and ubiquitin-11 promoters, respectively. A total of 10 mag2 and 9 MSI99 regenerated lines were studied by Southern blot hybridization, which showed 1-6 transgene integration events into the plant genome. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed a variable range in transcription levels among mag2 and MSI99 lines. A positive correlation between number of integration events and transcription level was observed (p<0.05). Plants were acclimated and challenged in the greenhouse with either Agrobacterium vitis strains (bacterial crown gall pathogen) at 108cfu/ml or Uncinula necator (fungal powdery mildew pathogen) at 105 conidia/ml for evaluation of disease resistance. A total of 6 mag2 and 5 MSI99 lines expressing the antimicrobial genes exhibited significant reductions of crown gall symptoms as compared to non-transformed controls. However, only two mag2 lines showed measurable symptom reductions in response to U. necator, but not strong resistance. Our results suggest that the expression of magainin-type genes in grapevines may be more effective against bacteria than fungi. Additional strategies to enhance transgene expression and the spectrum of resistance to grape diseases are suggeste

Observations of Mass Loss from the Transiting Exoplanet HD 209458b

Using the new Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the {\it Hubble Space Telescope (HST)}, we obtained moderate-resolution, high signal/noise ultraviolet spectra of HD 209458 and its exoplanet HD 209458b during transit, both orbital quadratures, and secondary eclipse. We compare transit spectra with spectra obtained at non-transit phases to identify spectral features due to the exoplanet's expanding atmosphere. We find that the mean flux decreased by $7.8\pm 1.3$% for the C II 1334.5323\AA\ and 1335.6854\AA\ lines and by $8.2\pm 1.4$% for the Si III 1206.500\AA\ line during transit compared to non-transit times in the velocity interval --50 to +50 km s$^{-1}$. Comparison of the C II and Si III line depths and transit/non-transit line ratios shows deeper absorption features near --10 and +15 km s$^{-1}$ and less certain features near --40 and +30--70 km s$^{-1}$, but future observations are needed to verify this first detection of velocity structure in the expanding atmosphere of an exoplanet. Our results for the C II lines and the non-detection of Si IV 1394.76\AA\ absorption are in agreement with \citet{Vidal-Madjar2004}, but we find absorption during transit in the Si III line contrary to the earlier result. The $8\pm 1$% obscuration of the star during transit is far larger than the 1.5% obscuration by the exoplanet's disk. Absorption during transit at velocities between --50 and +50 km s$^{-1}$ in the C II and Si III lines requires high-velocity ion absorbers, but models that assume that the absorbers are high-temperature thermal ions are inconsistent with the COS spectra. Assuming hydrodynamic model values for the gas temperature and outflow velocity at the limb of the outflow as seen in the C II lines, we find mass-loss rates in the range (8--40)$\times 10^{10}$ g s$^{-1}$.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figures, Astrophysical Journal in pres