Identifying divergent design thinking through the observable behavior of service design novices

© 2018, Springer Nature B.V. Design thinking holds the key to innovation processes, but is often difficult to detect because of its implicit nature. We undertook a study of novice designers engaged in team-based design exercises in order to explore the correlation between design thinking and designers’ physical (observable) behavior and to identify new, objective, design thinking identification methods. Our study addresses the topic by using data collection method of “think aloud” and data analysis method of “protocol analysis” along with the unconstrained concept generation environment. Collected data from the participants without service design experience were analyzed by open and selective coding. Through the research, we found correlations between physical activity and divergent thinking, and also identified physical behaviors that predict a designer’s transition to divergent thinking. We conclude that there are significant relations between designers’ design thinking and the behavioral features of their body and face. This approach opens possible new ways to undertake design process research and also design capability evaluation

Rational and Design of ST-ON-SET: Assessment of Antiplatelet effect after Ticagrelor Loading Dose in STEMI Patients and NSTEMI Patients

Background: Background: Delayed platelet inhibition by ticagrelor has been initially documented in STEMI subjects. To the best of our knowledge, no data exists about the direct description of early onset of platelet inhibition after ticagrelor loading dose (LD) in different clinical forms of ACS, especially in Chinese patients. The ST-ON-SET study is designed to address this unmet need. Method/Design: The ST-ON-SET study is a single center, prospective, observational, open-label, investigator-initiated study. Platelet inhibition assessed by Light transmittance aggregometry (LTA) and plasma concentrations of ticagrelor and its metabolites would be investigated serially. The primary outcome is the inhibition of platelet aggregation measured by LTA at 2 hours after ticagrelor LD. Moreover, baseline inflammatory and thrombotic biomarkers would be measured to investigate the potential underlying influences of platelet inhibition. Conclusion: The study is designed to characterize pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynatic profiles of ticagrelor LD in Chinese STEMI and NSTEMI patients. Furthermore, preliminary investigation of the underlying mechanism of initial delayed platelet inhibition by ticagrelor would be conducted

Lipidome, central carbon metabolites, and sleep rhythm in coronary heart disease with nontraditional risks: An exploratory pilot study

Aims: Altered lipid, energy metabolism and sleep disorders had been linked with coronary heart disease (CHD), however, the metabolic signatures and sleep rhythm in non-obstructive coronary atherosclerosis-CHD remain unclear. This pilot study aims to investigate the lipidome and central carbon metabolites profiles and associated sleep characteristics among CHD patients without traditional risk factors. Methods: From January to July 2021, 15 CHD patients and 15 healthy controls were randomly selected from the cardiology unit of Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai. A total of 464 lipids and 45 central carbon metabolites (CCM) were quantified in blood plasma. Metabolic signatures were selected through orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted to link the profiles of identified metabolites with CHD risk, sleep patterns, cardiometabolic traits and cardiac electrophysiologic parameters. Results: Using OPLS-DA, we identified 40 metabolites (variable influence on projection >1) that were altered in CHD patients, with 38 lipids, including 25 triacylglycerols (TAGs), 8 diacylglycerols (DAGs), being elevated and two CCM metabolites (i.e., succinic acid and glycolic acid) being reduced. Using PCA, four principal components (PCs) were identified and associated with increased risk of CHD. Specifically, one standard unit increasement in the PC that was characterized by high levels of DAG (18:1) and low succinic acid and the PC that was characterized by high levels of two sphingomyelins [SM (26:0) and SM (24:0)] was associated with 21% [odds ratio (OR) = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.02,1.43] and 14% (OR = 1.14,1.02,1.29) increased risk of CHD, respectively. Further regression analyses confirmed that the identified metabolites and the four PCs were positively associated with TG and ALT. Interestingly, glycolic acid was negatively associated with sleep quality and PSQI. Participants with night sleep mode tended to have a high level of the identified lipids, especially FFA (20:4). Conclusion: In the present pilot study, our findings provide clues on alterations of lipid and energy metabolism in CHD patients without traditional risk factors, with multiple triacylglycerols and diacylglycerols metabolites seemingly elevated and certain nonlipids metabolites (e.g., succinic acid and glycolic acid) decreased in cases. Considering the limit sample size, further studies are warranted to confirm our results