Combining Cultural Probes and Interviews with Caregivers to Co-Design a Social Mobile Robotic Solution

Objectives: The objective of our research is to study the social organization within institutions welcoming dependent older adults and the potential impact of introducing a social robot. Material(s) and Method(s): In a co-design approach with professionals, the observation of behaviors, regulated by social rules and norms, will allow, in a way coherent with our empirical approach, to question the conditions necessary for the design of an acceptable human-robot interaction. The ethnographic observations, which were cancelled due to the Covid crisis, led us to use the "cultural probes" method combined with interviews, to understand the daily work of health professionals better. Result(s): The analysis of the collected data allows us to identify 5 recurrent themes - Time and personnel, the health situation,1 Communication/Attention, Guiding, Activities - for which we have listed, in this article, the issues encountered, the questions raised and ideas of potential solutions with the use of a social robot. Conclusion(s): The Cultural Probes approach may seem time-consuming and requires a significant investment, but it has allowed us to maintain regular contact during the pandemic. In addition, the qualitative data collected proved to be a good discussion tool.Copyright © 2022 AGBM

Supply chain risk management strategies in normal and abnormal times: policymakers' role in reducing generic medicine shortages

Purpose: This paper links supply chain risk management to medicine supply chains to explore the role of policymakers in employing supply chain risk management strategies (SCRMS) to reduce generic medicine shortages. Design/methodology/approach: Using secondary data supplemented with primary data, the authors map and compare seven countries' SCRMS for handling shortage risks in their paracetamol supply chains before and during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: Consistent with recent research, the study finds that policymakers had implemented few SCRMS specifically for responding to disruptions caused by COVID-19. However, shortages were largely avoided since multiple strategies for coping with business-as-usual disruptions had been implemented prior to the pandemic. The authors did find that SCRMS implemented during COVID-19 were not always aligned with those implemented pre-pandemic. The authors also found that policymakers played both direct and indirect roles. Research limitations/implications: Combining longitudinal secondary data with interviews sheds light on how, regardless of the level of preparedness during normal times, SCRMS can be leveraged to avert shortages in abnormal times. However, the problem is highly complex, which warrants further research. Practical implications: Supply chain professionals and policymakers in the healthcare sector can use the findings when developing preparedness and response plans. Social implications: The insights developed can help policymakers improve the availability of high-volume generic medicines in (ab)normal times. Originality/value: The authors contribute to prior SCRM research in two ways. First, the authors operationalize SCRMS in the medicine supply chain context in (ab)normal times, thereby opening avenues for future research on SCRM in this context. Second, the authors develop insights on the role policymakers play and how they directly implement and indirectly influence the adoption of SCRMS. Based on the study findings, the authors develop a framework that captures the diverse roles of policymakers in SCRM. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Physical fitness and habitual physical activity in children with cystic fibrosis - do they improve with elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor therapy?

Objectives: The aim of this ongoing longitudinal study is to examine the effects of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ELX/TEZ/IVA) on aspects of physical fitness (PF, strength endurance, explosive power, coordination under time pressure, coordination for the precision aspect, trunk flexibility, peak workload, habitual physical activity (HPA, steps/day, intensity), and zscores of FEV1 and BMI in children with cystic fibrosis (CF)). All children have been receiving ELX/TEZ/IVA for 19.2 ± 10.4 (11–33) months. Methods: Six children with CF agreed to participate (3f/3 m) mean age 13 ± 4yrs (9–17 yrs), FEV1 z-score − 1.017 ± 1.817 (-3.2–0.8). PFwas assessed using 5 test items at baseline and 4.51 ± 0.98 years later;strength endurance (PU push-ups, SU sit-ups), explosive power (SLJ standing long jump), coordination under time pressure (JSS jumping side to side), coordination for the precision aspect (BB balancing backward on beams), and trunk flexibility (FB, forward bend). Cycle-ergometry (Godfrey-protocol) was used to determine Wpeak. Lung function was measured by spirometry. Results: Significant improvements were seen in test items representing strength endurance (PU, SU) and coordination under time pressure (JSS) (p < .05). Although HPA expressed as steps/day remained the same, thetime of moderate to vigorous intensity of HPA decreases significantly (p < .05). A slight, not significant, improvement of BMI Z-score was observed (p > .05). No or small changes could be observed for the parameter FEV1 z-score, Wpeak, PF, SLJ, BB and FB (p > 0.05). Conclusion: ELX/TEZ/IVA therapy seems to be a facilitator to increase some aspects of PF. The decrease in intensity of HPA is possibly an effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic that has already been described in healthy and asthmatic children. In this ongoing study, we assume that clearer effects will be shown with a greater number of children included. However, ELX/ TEZ/IVA enhanced muscle strength endurance in children with CF.

Combining Cultural Probes and Interviews with Caregivers to Co-Design a Social Mobile Robotic Solution

Objectives The objective of our research is to study the social organization within institutions welcoming dependent older adults and the potential impact of introducing a social robot. Materials and methods In a co-design approach with professionals, the observation of behaviors, regulated by social rules and norms, will allow, in a way coherent with our empirical approach, to question the conditions necessary for the design of an acceptable human–robot interaction. The ethnographic observations, which were cancelled due to the Covid crisis, led us to use the “cultural probes” method combined with interviews, to understand the daily work of health professionals better. Results The analysis of the collected data allows us to identify 5 recurrent themes – Time and personnel, the health situation,1 Communication/Attention, Guiding, Activities – for which we have listed, in this article, the issues encountered, the questions raised and ideas of potential solutions with the use of a social robot. Conclusion The Cultural Probes approach may seem time-consuming and requires a significant investment, but it has allowed us to maintain regular contact during the pandemic. In addition, the qualitative data collected proved to be a good discussion tool.

Acute to Chronic Pain Signatures Program (a2CPS): Implementation of Remote Training for a Multisite Observation Study During COVID-19

Chronic pain produces the largest non-fatal burden of disease, yet our understanding of factors that contribute to the transition from acute chronic pain are poorly understood. The Acute to Chronic Pain Signatures Program (A2CPS) is a longitudinal, multi-site observational study to identify biomarkers (individual or biosignature combinations) that predict susceptibility or resilience to the development of chronic pain after surgery (knee replacement or thoracotomy). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, travel between sites was restricted just as the study was preparing to begin enrollment. Here, we present multiple training protocol adaptations that were successfully implemented to facilitate remote research-related training. The A2CPS consortium includes 2 Multisite Clinical Centers (MCCs, 10 recruitment sites), a Clinical Coordinating Center (CCC), a Data Integration and Resource Center (DIRC), 3 Omics Data Generation Centers, and representation from the NIH Pain Consortium, Common Fund, and National Institute of Drug Abuse. The A2CPS is collecting candidate and exploratory biomarkers including pain, fatigue, function, sleep, psychosocial factors, quantitative sensory testing (QST), genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, and brain imaging. The CCC adapted the A2CPS training and evaluation techniques for certifying the MCCs to ensure competency with recruitment, assessments (surveys, QST, function), and data entry across clinical sites using a combination of virtual training sessions, standardized quantitative measurements, video demonstrations, and reliability assessments. Staff at data collection sites have been successfully certified in all psychophysical assessments (QST, function). This included use of stop watches and metronomes to ensure standard application rates, completion of application-rate and inter-rater-reliability worksheets at each clinical site, designation of site-specific master examiners, training rubrics and video demonstration to verify competency was harmonized across sites. Adaptation of training protocols to a remote format enabled initiation of subject enrollment while maintaining documented standards with high data completion rates for surveys and assessments. The A2CPS Consortium is supported by the National Institutes of Health Common Fund, which is managed by the OD/Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC). Consortium components include: Clinical Coordinating Center (UO1NS077179), Data Integration and Resource Center (UO1NS077352), Omics Data Generation Centers (U54DA049116, U54DA049115, U54DA09113), and Multisite Clinical Centers: MCC 1 (UM1NS112874) and MCC 2 (UM1NS118922). Postdoctoral support for GB provided by the National Institutes of Neurological Disease and Stroke (NINDS) of the NIH under Award Number U24NS112873-03S2.

Use of fuzzy sets, aggregation operators and multi agent systems to simulate COVID-19 transmission in a context of absence of barrier gestures and social distancing: Application to an island region

In this paper, we present a model of Covid-19 pandemic spreading simulated by a multi-agent system and using fuzzy sets. This paper focuses on two risk factors: age and body mass index. By using real data of people from French West Indies, we model the rate of risky population could be critical cases, if neither social distancing nor barrier gestures are respected. The results show that hospital capacities are exceeded. © 2020 IEEE.