CAVE for collaborative patient room design: analysis with end-user opinion contrasting method

Several studies indicate that virtual reality (VR) systems are useful for end-user participation in an environmental design process. However, these systems can be costly and thus support for the decision whether to invest in a VR of some type is useful. This study presents a novel method for analysing the usefulness of a VR system for the purpose of end-user participation. We collected qualitative end-user opinion data in the real environment and then contrasted this data with the capabilities of a VR system. Additionally, to better understand the capabilities of the VR used, we examined how the end-users perceive the used virtual environment, which in this case was CAVE, an immersive VR system where projectors are directed to the walls of a room-sized cube. In this way, we analysed whether the same functions and elements identified by end-users on the actual wards could also be evaluated in the CAVE. Eleven nurses and 11 patients participated in the study by evaluating a bathroom and/or four patient rooms modelled by the CAVE and the actual hospital wards. The CAVE was convenient for evaluating most issues identified by the study participants in the actual hospital wards, i.e. aesthetics; correct location of equipment, supplies and materials; distraction by or the good companion of other patients as well as window position and size and living/workspace. However, it was not possible to evaluate with full certainty the possibilities for bracing against grab bars or other objects in the VR, and this was found to be relevant to the independent functioning of patients with limited mobility. Also, due to the relatively low luminance levels of projectors, evaluations regarding lighting were considered unreliable. Moreover, end-users were not always certain about the sizes and sufficiency of space in the CAVE. Solutions to overcome these limitations were proposed.     

Completed suicide among adolescents with no diagnosable psychiatric disorder

The characteristics of male adolescent suicide victims with (n = 84) and without (n = 8) a diagnosable psychiatric disorder were compared. Using psychological autopsy methods--interviews with victims' family members and health care professionals, and review of records (e.g., medical, school, police)-data were collected on all adolescent suicides in Finland during a 12-month period. Compared with adolescents with a psychiatric disorder, those with no disorder tended to come from less disturbed families, had shown less antisocial behavior, and had less frequently utilized health care and social services. Adolescents with no disorder more often communicated suicidal thoughts for the first time just before the suicide, and difficulties with the law (discipline problems) were more common precipitants than among those with a disorder. It was concluded that the process leading to suicide seems to be relatively short among male adolescents with no diagnosable psychiatric disorder. Communication of suicidal intent and problems with discipline are among the few clinical warning signs.     

双室平板玻璃钢化炉的质量和生产优势

夹层玻璃应用的显著增加和质量意识的总体提高，对钢化玻璃厂家在玻璃平面和光学质量方面提出了新的要求。这些对玻璃钢化行业的要求主要在建筑和太阳能市场，这两个市场对夹层玻璃质量的要求更加突出。除了质量以外，本文还设法解决玻璃处理领域的最大趋势一能效问题。本文从两个角度讨论双室处理的能效问题：（1）三银镀膜玻璃比重的日益提高及它们对生产的要求；（2）双室生产线生产每平米玻璃所消耗能源的能效。本文的目的是通过实例来说明逐步增温的双室处理方式的优点，并找出用于两段式加热法的加热技术的最佳解决方案，以保证平板玻璃钢化生产线能够满足日益提高的质量要求。     

Project plan for studies on suicide, attempted suicide, and suicide prevention

Completed and attempted suicide are major public health problems in most western countries. The importance of suicidal behavior as a health problem, particularly among adolescents and young adults, has been emphasized by the European Union, the WHO (Europe), as well as the Finnish authorities. Due to the exceptionally high suicide mortality, suicide prevention has been one of the main targets of Finnish health policy since the late 1980s. However, to develop feasible strategies for suicide prevention, better knowledge of the phenomenon of self-destruction is necessary. The Department of Mental Health of the National Public Health Institute has been actively involved in suicide research and the development of suicide strategies both in Finland and western Europe since 1986. The success is based on a long tradition of suicide research in Finland, the representative and reliable suicide data, a highly motivated research group, and also the necessary economic support by both the National Public Health Institute and the Finnish Academy. This article outlines our groups research plan for the next few years.     

Mental disorders in elderly suicide

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and comorbidity of current mental disorders defined by DSM-III-R among elderly suicide victims and to compare them with the mental disorders among younger victims. Using a psychological autopsy method, we collected comprehensive data on all suicides in Finland during 1 year. Retrospective Axis I-III consensus diagnoses were assigned to a random sample consisting of 43 victims aged 60 years or over and 186 victims aged under 60 from the nationwide suicide population. At least one Axis I diagnosis was made for 91% of the elderly victims. Major depression as the principal diagnosis was more common among the elderly victims. Almost all elderly female victims were major depressives. Psychiatric comorbidity was more common among elderly male than among elderly female victims. More of the elderly victims (88%) than the younger (36%) received Axis III diagnoses. Suicide among the elderly without a diagnosable mental disorder and somatopsychiatric comorbidity seems to be rare.     

A methodology for systematic mapping of heat sources in an urban area

The increased use of heat pumps to utilise low-temperature heat will undoubtedly be a part of future emission reduction measures within the heating sector. Identifying these heat sources and assessing their heat potential is essential for their utilisation. Different methods for estimating the potential of excess and natural heat sources found in the urban environment are presented in this study. The research aims to present a replicable estimation methodology which can be applied to any urban area. The methods are developed around publicly available data sources, or otherwise easily obtainable data. The research aims at producing data accurate enough to support decision-making on the district heating company or city level on utilising these heat sources. A wide range of excess and natural heat sources found in urban environments were identified in a literature review. Methods for estimating the potential of the heat sources were developed based on findings of the literature review and the expected availability of data. The developed estimation methods were applied in a case study where the potential of heat sources identified within the Turku area in Southwest Finland was estimated. The results of the case study show the potential of the heat sources within the studied area. The difficulty of obtaining raw, high-quality data are also highlighted. This emphasises the need for advanced processing of available data and insight on the related sources, e.g. building management systems or industrial processes. The methods presented in this study give an overview on how heat potential could be estimated. It can be used as a base for developing more refined methods and for detailed techno-economic assessment for utilising available excess and natural heat sources.

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Forecasting the unresponsiveness to verbal command on the basis of EEG frequency progression during anesthetic induction with propofol

The objective of this study is to model the association between the electroencephalogram (EEG) spectral features and the novel r scale representing the sedative effects of the propofol anesthetic drug. On the basis of the r scale, the unresponsiveness to the verbal command (LVC) is forecasted. EEG recordings are taken from a 16-patient study population undergoing propofol anesthetic induction. EEG was filtered into consecutive 4-Hz passbands up to 28 Hz. Of these time-series, the amplitude envelopes were extracted and used as input features to the first and the second-order polynomial multiple linear regression models. The values r epsilon [0.4, 1] were predicted with the R2 value of 0.775 with a cross validation. The LVC times were forecasted with the median error of 5%-7% or equivalently 10-13 s. In contrast, using the median of the measured LVC times of the training population as a forecast, the corresponding error was 12% or 26 s. The results suggest an acceptable correlation between the r scale and the EEG spectrum in the studied range. Moreover, the r values of an individual can be predicted using a population model. The suggested framework enables forecasting the LVC, which may open new possibilities for steering the drug administration.     

Collaborative Planning in Adaptive Flood Risk Management under Climate Change

Flood risk management (FRM) is moving towards more proactive and collaborative direction to enable adaptation to changing conditions. We present a case study on collaborative planning process, which contributed to the development of adaptive FRM in one of the largest river basins in Finland. The focus was on the possibility and acceptability of using large regulated lakes as storage for flood water in an extreme flood event to decrease flood damage at the downstream riverside towns. We defined an extreme flood event that would cause dramatic flood damage and developed tools for simulating the event with alternative regulation strategies using Watershed Simulation and Forecasting System (WSFS). We organized a stakeholder event to demonstrate the alternative lake regulation strategies, their socio-economic consequences, and to discuss their acceptability. We found that storing flood water in the lakes above the regulation limits and preparing for winter floods in advance by lowering the lakes in the autumn can minimize the total damage in the target area. The majority of stakeholders considered these actions acceptable in an extreme flood event, regardless of deliberately induced flooding of areas where no floods have occurred for over 50 years. However, lowering the lakes in the autumn on annual basis gained less support. We emphasize the importance of deliberations on the FRM procedures and responsibilities in extreme flood events with the stakeholders in advance to increase adaptive capacity and legitimacy of decisions.     

Combining Web of Science and Scopus datasets in citation-based literature study

Scientometrics - Scientific research builds on previous studies and scientifically proven knowledge. Researchers must master the recent developments in the field when designing research to answer...