ABSTRACT
Ventilators have become the need of the hour in view of the pandemic COVID-19. Hospitals around the world have faced difficulty in managing the same. Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV) involves offering breathing support in the form of a mask which can be a nasal or a face mask or a helmet. The proposed work analyses the design aspects of a helmet-based NIV and its effective management through the usage of a dedicated website capable of communicating with the ventilator directly. The entire analysis is carried out using the simulated ventilator model on Simulink. The communication aspects are tested by conveying necessary information to ThingSpeak, an IoT based analytics platform, which can be accessed by the user through a website. The website can be used to check availability of ventilators at places. © 2022 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
This research on web 3.0 tools and autonomous work analyzes new and interactive possibilities for the generation of educational content in web environments. The research aims to determine the use of web 3.0 tools and the autonomous work of higher education students in times of pandemic. The research methodology was of an experimental type through a quantitative approach, with a documentary bibliographic modality for the understanding of the variables and field where direct contact was maintained with the study population. For the collection of information, the survey technique was used based on a questionnaire on a Likert scale. The study population was 68 students of the Tourism major, a population to which the experimentation was applied based on the ADDIE methodology for the development of digital tools and the application of the TAM model survey. The statistic used to test the hypothesis is Kolmogorov-Smirnov with a value less than 0.05. The results of this research were that the students favorably accepted the technology, that is, the web 3.0 tools in autonomous work since they contribute to generating self-learning skills, motivation, and commitment to the construction of knowledge in a playful way. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Implementing mass vaccination clinics for COVID-19 immunization has been a successful public health activity worldwide. However, this tightly coupled system has many logistical challenges, leading to increased workplace stress, as evidenced throughout the pandemic. The complexities of mass vaccination clinics that combine multidisciplinary teams working within nonclinical environments are yet to be understood through a human systems perspective. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to holistically model mass COVID-19 vaccination clinics in the Region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, to understand the challenges centered around frontline workers and to inform clinic design and technological recommendations that can minimize the systemic inefficiencies that contribute to workplace stress. METHODS: An ethnographic approach was guided by contextual inquiry to gather data on work as done in these ad-hoc immunization settings. Observation data were clarified by speaking with clinic staff, and the research team discussed the observation data regularly throughout the data collection period. Data were analyzed by combining aspects of the contextual design framework and cognitive work analysis, and building workplace models that can identify the stress points and interconnections within mass vaccination clinic flow, developed artifacts, culture, physical layouts, and decision-making. RESULTS: Observations were conducted at 6 mass COVID-19 vaccination clinics over 4 weeks in 2021. The workflow model depicted challenges with maintaining situational awareness about client intake and vaccine preparation among decision-makers. The artifacts model visualized how separately developed tools for the vaccine lead and clinic lead may support cognitive tasks through data synthesis. However, their effectiveness depends on sharing accurate and timely data. The cultural model indicated that perspectives on how to effectively achieve mass immunization might impact workplace stress with changes to responsibilities. This depends on the aggressive or relaxed approach toward minimizing vaccine waste while adapting to changing policies, regulations, and vaccine scarcity. The physical model suggested that the co-location of workstations may influence decision-making coordination. Finally, the decision ladder described the decision-making steps for managing end-of-day doses, highlighting challenges with data uncertainty and ways to support expertise. CONCLUSIONS: Modeling mass COVID-19 vaccination clinics from a human systems perspective identified 2 high-level opportunities for improving the inefficiencies within this health care delivery system. First, clinics may become more resilient to unexpected changes in client intake or vaccine preparation using strategies and artifacts that standardize data gathering and synthesis, thereby reducing uncertainties for end-of-day dose decision-making. Second, improving data sharing among staff by co-locating their workstations and implementing collaborative artifacts that support a collective understanding of the state of the clinic may reduce system complexity by improving shared situational awareness. Future research should examine how the developed models apply to immunization settings beyond the Region of Waterloo and evaluate the impact of the recommendations on workflow coordination, stress, and decision-making.
ABSTRACT
This work analyzes the propagation of Omicron, a high transmissible COVID-19 variant, across Spain by means of EpiGraph. EpiGraph is an agent-based parallel simulator that reproduces the COVID-19 propagation over wide areas. In this work we consider a population of 19,574,086 individuals related to the 63 most populated cities of Spain for the time interval comprised between May 15th of 2021 and March 6th of 2022. The main variants existing at the start of the simulation were the Alpha and Delta, with a a 4% and 96% prevalence of the existing infections, respectively. Then, during the second mid of November of 2021 the Delta variant appears in Spain. Given to the higher transmission of this new variant-about 2 times larger than Delta-, it quickly spreads through all the cities and becomes the dominant strain of the country. In this work we analyze the propagation of this variant under multiple conditions. First, we define a baseline scenario, that reproduces the existing conditions of the COVID-19 propagation in Spain for this period. Then, we consider alternative scenarios, in which different locations of the initial spread of Omicron variant are considered. Finally, for each one of these scenarios, we evaluate different transportation intensities-i.e. movement of individuals between the cities-. The main conclusion of this work is that, independently of the initial location of the Omicron variant, and the existing transportation conditions, the Omicron variant spreads though all the country in a short time interval. © 2022 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
The covid 19 epidemic has been marking the pace of life around the world for the last two years, and it left clear marks on economic activity, our social life and even the pollution associated with human activity. One of the consequences is related to the decrease in car traffic, especially in the months of mandatory social confinement. This work analyzes the impact of the epidemic on traffic regarding access to the beaches of Barra and Costa Nova in the region of Aveiro, Portugal, through the infrastructure of the PASMO project. Therefore, the weekly and weekend traffic profiles evolution were analyzed over the various months of 2020. The work also compared the evolution of infections with the evolution of road traffic, as well as the impact of the various events related to the epidemic in road traffic. © 2022 IEEE Computer Society. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
With this work we propose a guideline for the development of efficient and effective UVC surface disinfection systems for SARS-CoV-2 based on LED technology. The work analyzes the optical and electrical characteristics of state of the art UVC LEDs. From the most recent scientific literature, optical simulations, and laboratory experiments we propose guidelines for the design of high efficiency LED based antiviral system for the treatment of contaminated surfaces. To validate the guidelines two different UVC-LED irradiation systems, for spherical and flat surfaces, have been designed, manufactured and tested. Results indicate a log-4 inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 in few minutes. © COPYRIGHT SPIE. Downloading of the is permitted for personal use only.
ABSTRACT
Following strict "lockdown" restrictions designed to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus, many jurisdictions are now engaged in a process of easing restrictions in an attempt to stimulate economic and social activity while continuing to suppress virus transmission. This is challenging and complex, and in several regions, new outbreaks have emerged. We argue that systems Human Factors and Ergonomics methods can assist in understanding and optimizing the return from lockdown. To demonstrate, we used work domain analysis to develop an abstraction hierarchy model of a generic "return from lockdown restrictions" system. The model was assessed to identify (a) issues preventing a successful return from lockdown; and (b) leverage points that could be exploited to optimize future processes. The findings show that the aim of continuing to suppress virus transmission conflicts with the aims of returning to pre-virus economic and social activity levels. As a result, many functions act against each other, ensuring that the system cannot optimally achieve all three of its primary aims. Potential leverage points include modifying the goals and rules of the system and enhancing communications and feedback. Specifically, it is argued that moderating economic aims and modifying how social and community activities are undertaken will result in longer term suppression of the virus.
ABSTRACT
The suspension of major sporting competitions due to the global COVID-19 pandemic had a substantial negative impact on the sporting industry. As such, a successful and sustainable return to sport will require extensive modifications to the current operations of sporting organizations. In this article we argue that methods from the realm of sociotechnical systems (STS) theory are highly suited for this purpose. The aim of the study was to use such methods to develop a model of an Australian Football League (AFL) club's football department. The intention was to identify potential modifications to the club's operations to support a return to competition following the COVID-19 crisis. Subject Matter Experts from an AFL club participated in three online workshops to develop Work Domain Analysis and Social Organization and Cooperation Analysis models. The results demonstrated the inherent complexity of an AFL football department via numerous interacting values, functions and processes influencing the goals of the system. Conflicts within the system were captured via the modeling and included pursing goals that may not fully reflect the state of the system, a lack of formal assessment of core values, overlapping functions and objects, and an overemphasis on specialized roles. The current analysis has highlighted potential areas for modification in the football department, and sports performance departments in general.