BACKGROUND: Postacute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) remain understudied in nonhospitalized patients. Digital wearables allow for a continuous collection of physiological parameters such as respiratory rate and oxygen saturation that have been predictive of disease trajectories in hospitalized patients.
OBJECTIVE: This protocol outlines the design and procedures of a prospective, longitudinal, observational study of PASC that aims to identify wearables-collected physiological parameters that are associated with PASC in patients with a positive diagnosis.
METHODS: This is a single-arm, prospective, observational study of a cohort of 550 patients, aged 18 to 65 years, male or female, who own a smartphone or a tablet that meets predetermined Bluetooth version and operating system requirements, speak English, and provide documentation of a positive COVID-19 test issued by a health care professional within 5 days before enrollment. The primary end point is long COVID-19, defined as ≥1 symptom at 3 weeks beyond the first symptom onset or positive diagnosis, whichever comes first. The secondary end point is chronic COVID-19, defined as ≥1 symptom at 12 weeks beyond the first symptom onset or positive diagnosis. Participants must be willing and able to consent to participate in the study and adhere to study procedures for 6 months.
RESULTS: The first patient was enrolled in October 2021. The estimated year for publishing the study results is 2025.
CONCLUSIONS: This is a fully decentralized study investigating PASC using wearable devices to collect physiological parameters and patient-reported outcomes. The study will shed light on the duration and symptom manifestation of PASC in nonhospitalized patient subgroups and is an exemplar of the use of wearables as population-level monitoring health tools for communicable diseases.
BACKGROUND: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04927442; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04927442.
UNASSIGNED: DERR1-10.2196/57382.

Respiratory rate (RR) is an important indicator of the health and welfare status of dairy cows. In recent years, progress has been made in monitoring the RR of dairy cows using video data and learning methods. However, existing approaches often involve multiple processing modules, such as region of interest (ROI) detection and tracking, which can introduce errors that propagate through successive steps. The objective of this study was to develop an end-to-end computer vision method to predict RR of dairy cows continuously and automatically. The method leverages the capabilities of a state-of-the-art Transformer model, VideoMAE, which divides video frames into patches as input tokens, enabling the automated selection and featurization of relevant regions, such as a cow\'s abdomen, for predicting RR. The original encoder of VideoMAE was retained, and a classification head was added on top of it. Further, the weights of the first 11 layers of the pre-trained model were kept, while the weights of the final layer and classifier were fine-tuned using video data collected in a tie-stall barn from 6 dairy cows. Respiratory rates measured using a respiratory belt for individual cows were serving as the ground truth (GT). The evaluation of the developed model was conducted using multiple metrics, including mean absolute error (MAE) of 2.58 breaths per minute (bpm), root mean squared error (RMSE) of 3.52 bpm, root mean squared prediction error (RMSPE; as a proportion of observed mean) of 15.03%, and Pearson correlation (r) of 0.86. Compared with a conventional method involving multiple processing modules, the end-to-end approach performed better in terms of MAE, RMSE and RMSPE. These results suggest the potential to implement the developed computer vision method for an end-to-end solution, for monitoring RR of dairy cows automatically in a tie-stall setting. Future research on integrating this method with other behavioral detection and animal identification algorithms for animal monitoring in a free-stall dairy barn can be beneficial for a broader application.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the effects kangaroo mother care (KMC) on the regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) measured with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in premature infants and to study the physiological stability and comfort of the infants during such interventions.
METHODS: This was a prospective, single-centered, single-blind, 2-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial conducted.
METHODS: The study was carried out in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit in Medical Faculty Hospital in Konya/Turkey.
METHODS: Premature infants born between 24 and 36+6 weeks. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: kangaroo care (n = 20) and control groups (n = 20). The rSO2, oxygen saturation (%SpO2), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate, body temperature, and comfort levels of the infants were evaluated in three stages.
RESULTS: In the 60th min measurement of the intervention group, rSO2, body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and, comfort level, the comfort level was found to be higher and significant in the 30th and 60th min measurements (p < 0.001). In the intervention group, the rSO2 (p < 0.001), body temperature (p < 0.001), HR (p < 0.001), SpO2 (p < 0.001), respiratory rate (p < 0.001), and comfort levels (p < 0.001) scores with the control group and the group × time interaction was significant.
CONCLUSIONS: KMC moderately increased the rSO2 levels and also created a moderate effect size on the physiological parameters and comfort levels of the newborns, which implicates its short-term benefits for premature infants.
CONCLUSIONS: KMC may be beneficial in stabilizing rSO2 and physiological parameters and increasing comfort in premature infants. The trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT04725435).

Global warming caused by climate change is a challenge for dairy farming, especially in sub-Saharan countries. Under high temperatures and relative humidity, lactating dairy cows suffer from heat stress. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects and relationship of heat stress (HS) measured by the temperature-humidity index (THI) regarding the physiological parameters and milk yield and composition of lactating Holstein Friesian crossbred dairy cows reared in the humid coastal region of Tanzania. A total of 29 lactating Holstein Friesian x Zebu crossbred dairy cows with 50% (HF50) and 75% (HF75) Holstein Friesian gene levels in the second and third months of lactation were used. The breed composition of Holstein Friesians was determined based on the animal recording system used at the Tanzania Livestock Research Institute (TALIRI), Tanga. The data collected included the daily temperature, relative humidity, daily milk yield, and physiological parameters (core body temperature, rectal temperature, respiratory rate, and panting score). THI was calculated using the equation of the National Research Council. The THI values were categorized into three classes, i.e., low THI (76-78), moderate THI (79-81), and high THI (82-84). The effects of THI on the physiological parameters and milk yield and composition were assessed. The effects of the genotype, the parity, the lactation month, and the interaction of these parameters with THI on the milk yield, milk composition, and physiological parameters were also investigated. The results show that THI and its interaction with genotypes, parity, and the lactation month had a highly significant effect on all parameters. THI influenced (p ˂ 0.05) the average daily milk yield and milk fat %, protein %, lactose %, and solids-not-fat %. As the THI increased from moderate to high levels, the average daily milk yield declined from 3.49 ± 0.04 to 3.43 ± 0.05 L/day, while the fat % increased from 2.66 ± 0.05% to 3.04 ± 0.06% and the protein decreased from 3.15 ± 0.02% to 3.13 ± 0.03%. No decline in lactose % was observed, while the solid-not-fat % declined from 8.56 ± 0.08% to 8.55 ± 0.10% as the THI values increased from moderate to high. Also, the THI influenced physiological parameters (p ˂ 0.05). The core body temperature (CBT), rectal temperature (RT), respiratory rate (RR) and panting score (PS) increased from 35.60 ± 0.01 to 36.00 ± 0.01 °C, 38.03 ± 0.02 to 38.30 ± 0.02 °C, 62.53 ± 0.29 to 72.35 ± 0.28 breaths/min, and 1.35 ± 0.01 to 1.47 ± 0.09, respectively, as the THI increased from low to high. The THI showed a weak positive correlation with the average daily milk yield and fat percentage, whereas the protein, lactose, and solids-not-fat percentages showed negative relationships with THI (p ≤ 0.05). CBT, RT, RR, and PS showed positive relationships (p ≤ 0.05) with THI. These negative relationships indicate that there is an antagonistic correlation between sensitivity to HS and the level of production. It is concluded that the THI, the genotype, the parity, and the lactation month, along with their interactions with THI, significantly influenced the milk yield, milk composition, and physiological parameters of lactating Holstein Friesian dairy crosses at THI thresholds ranging from 77 to 84.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of music applied during the ROP examination on pain, comfort, and physiological parameters in preterm infants.
METHODS: The sample of this prospective randomized controlled double-blind experimental study consisted of 28 preterm infants who were examined for ROP of a tertiary hospital in the Neonatal Unit. Data were collected with a Questionnaire, Physiological Parameters Observation Form (PPOF), Revised-Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP-R), and Premature Infant Comfort Scale (PICS).
RESULTS: The results revealed that the crying times of the infants in the experimental group were shorter than the infants in the control group. The preterm infants in the experimental group had statistically lower PIPP-R scores during and after the procedure than the PIPP-R scores of the infants in the control group (p < 0.001) and the music applied to the preterm infants resulted in a mean decrease of 3.857 in the post-procedure and pre-procedure PIPP-R scores (p < 0.05). While there was no statistical difference between the pre-procedure and pre-procedural PICS scores of the preterm infants in the experimental and control groups (p = 0.599; p = 117), the post-procedure PICS values of the preterm infants in the experimental group were found to be lower than those of the control group (p < 0.001). It was found that the music applied to preterm infants during the ROP examination resulted in a mean decrease of 1.286 in PICS scores after the procedure and before the procedure (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: It was determined that the music listened to during the ROP examination decreased the PIPP-R pain scores of preterm infants, had a positive effect on the PICS scores after the procedure, but did not affect the physiological parameters positively.
BACKGROUND: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05263973.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated relationships of vital signs and laboratory-tested physiological parameters with in-hospital mortality, focusing on values that are unusual or extreme even in critical care settings.
METHODS: We retrospectively studied Philips Healthcare-MIT eICU data (207 U.S. hospitals, 20142015), including 166,959 adult-patient critical care admissions. Analyzing most-deranged (worst) value measured in the first admission day, we investigated vital signs (body temperature, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and respiratory rate) as well as albumin, bilirubin, blood pH via arterial blood gas (ABG), blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, FiO2 ABG, glucose, hematocrit, PaO2 ABG, PaCO2 ABG, sodium, 24-hour urine output, and white blood cell count (WBC).
RESULTS: In-hospital mortality was ≥50% at extremes of low blood pH, low and high body temperature, low albumin, low glucose, and low heart rate. Near extremes of blood pH, temperature, glucose, heart rate, PaO2 , and WBC, relatively. Small changes in measured values correlated with several-fold mortality rate increases. However, high mortality rates and abrupt mortality increases were often hidden by the common practice of thresholding or binning physiological parameters. The best predictors of in-hospital mortality were blood pH, temperature, and FiO2 (scaled Brier scores: 0.084, 0.063, and 0.049, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS: In-hospital mortality is high and sharply increasing at extremes of blood pH, body temperature, and other parameters. Common-practice thresholding obscures these associations. In practice, vital signs are sometimes treated more casually than laboratory-tested parameters. Yet, vitals are easier to obtain and we found they are often the best mortality predictors, supporting perspectives that vitals are undervalued.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of hand massage applied before cataract surgery on anxiety, surgical fear, pain, and physiological parameters.
METHODS: Randomized controlled experimental study.
METHODS: The sample of this prospective randomized controlled experimental study comprised 60 patients (30 intervention and 30 control) who had cataract surgery in the Eye Operating Room of a hospital. Data were collected with The Personal Information Form, Physiological Parameters Registration Form, Visual Analog Scale (VAS)-Anxiety, Surgical Fear Questionnaire, and VAS-Pain scale. In the study, patients in the intervention group received a 10 minutes hand massage before cataract surgery.
RESULTS: Results showed that the anxiety and surgery fear of patients decreased after hand massage (for all; P < .05). While the VAS-Pain score of the intervention group was 1.00 (2.00), it was 2.00 (1.00) for the control group (P < .05). The total Surgical Fear Questionnaire mean scores of the patients in the intervention group after hand massage was lower compared with the control group (P < .05).
CONCLUSIONS: Hand massage applied before cataract surgery reduced the patients\' anxiety, surgical fear, pain levels and positively affected their physiological parameters.

OBJECTIVE: Desiccation tolerance (DT) is crucial for survival in arid environments, where organisms develop strategies in reproduction, maintenance and defence to cope with water scarcity. Therefore, investigating the relationship between reproduction and DT is essential to understand the ecology and adaptive strategies of species. This study explores the connection between the development of male and female gametangia in the moss Bryum argenteum and the decrease in DT during the progression of phenological phases in gametangia and protonema.
METHODS: Samples collected from a dry tropical forest in Brazil were cultivated, cloned and subjected to desiccation. Subsequently, the physiological parameters of shoots and protonemata were analysed. Shoot and protonema regeneration were monitored for 28 d after the physiological analyses. Both phases were subjected to control and desiccation treatments.
RESULTS: Significant effects of desiccation and sex on the physiological parameters and regeneration capacity of shoots and protonemata were found. Male shoots generally exhibited lower values of Fv/Fm (quantum efficiency of photosystem II) and ϕPSII (effective quantum yield of photosystem II), while females demonstrated higher values and better recovery after desiccation. Protonemata also showed variation in Fv/Fm over time and with sex, with no significant differences in ϕPSII between them. Desiccated male shoots had higher mortality rates and produced fewer new shoots. For females, the regeneration patterns varied between the desiccation-exposed groups and the control, with decreased shoot production, and some protonemata growing into filaments without forming shoots.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings improve our understanding of the ecological responses of bryophytes to desiccation stress and provide insights into their adaptive strategies in challenging environments, such as the possible rarity of males in dioicous moss populations.

In the past few decades, the pressure of higher food production to satisfy the demand of ever rising population has inevitably increased the use synthetic agrochemicals which have deterioration effects. Biostimulants containing beneficial microbes (single inoculants and microbial consortium) were found as an ideal substitute of synthetic chemical fertilizers. In recent years, microbial consortium is known as a better bioinoculant in comparison to single inoculant bioformulation because of multifarious plant growth-promoting advantages. Looking at the advantageous effect of consortium, in present investigation, different bacteria were isolated from rhizospheric soil and plant samples collected from the Himalayan mountains on the green slopes of the Shivaliks, Himachal Pradesh. The isolated bacteria were screened for nitrogen (N) fixation, phosphorus (P) solubilization and potassium (K) solubilization plant growth promoting attributes, and efficient strains were identified through 16S rRNA gene sequencing and BLASTn analysis. The bacteria showing a positive effect in NPK uptake were developed as bacterial consortium for the growth promotion of eggplant crop. A total of 188 rhizospheric and endophytic bacteria were sorted out, among which 13 were exhibiting nitrogenase activity, whereas 43 and 31 were exhibiting P and K solubilization traits, respectively. The selected three efficient and potential bacterial strains were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Enterobacter ludwigii EU-BEN-22 (N-fixer; 35.68 ± 00.9 nmol C2H4 per mg protein per h), Micrococcus indicus EU-BRP-6 (P-solubilizer; 201 ± 0.004 mg/L), and Pseudomonas gessardii EU-BRK-55 (K-solubilizer; 51.3 ± 1.7 mg/mL), and they were used to develop a bacterial consortium. The bacterial consortium evaluation on eggplant resulted in the improvement of growth (root/shoot length and biomass) and physiological parameters (chlorophyll, carotenoids, total soluble sugar, and phenolic content) of the plants with respect to single culture inoculation, chemical fertilizer, and untreated control. A bacterial consortium having potential to promote plant growth could be used as bioinoculant for horticulture crops growing in hilly regions.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the bladder stimulation technique (BST) to collect urine samples from newborns and its effects on physiological parameters and comfort of the newborn.
METHODS: This was a randomized controlled trial conducted in a NICU. A total of 64 newborns were divided into 2 groups: 32 newborns in the experimental group and 32 newborns in the control group.
METHODS: Newborns in the experimental group (EG) were subjected to the BST, and in the control group (CG), urine collection was via sterile urine bags, which is routine practice. Procedural success was defined as the collection of urine samples within 3 min of beginning the stimulation technique in the experimental group and of placing the sterile urine bag in the control group.
RESULTS: The success rate of the procedure in 3 min was 62.5% in the EG and 28% in the CG (P = 0.006, absolute difference: 35%, 95% confidence interval 27% to 42%, NNT: 3). According to the comparison of the overall mean COMFORTneo scale and pain and distress subscale scores at the 1- and 3-min marks, there was a significant difference between the EG and CG (p < 0.05). The mean scores in the EG were higher than those in the CG. The mean oxygen-saturation was significantly lower in the EG than in the CG (p < 0.05), and the increase in heart rate was significantly higher in the EG (p = 0.018).
CONCLUSIONS: BST is a more successful method within 3 min for collecting urine samples from newborns compared to sterile urine bags. However, the newborns\' comfort levels minimally decreased at 3 min, and they had moderate pain and distress, while the BST was being implemented. This increase in physiologic parameters was statistically significant but not clinically significant.