The potential role of personal items in the transmission of pathogens is poorly understood. In this study, we cultured bacteria of public health importance found on wristbands, determined whether there is a correlatio...The potential role of personal items in the transmission of pathogens is poorly understood. In this study, we cultured bacteria of public health importance found on wristbands, determined whether there is a correlation between wristband material and prevalence, and tested three household disinfectants for efficacy in reducing bacteria on wristbands made of plastic, rubber, metal, and cloth, using standard microbiological assays. Total cultivable bacteria, Staphylococci, Enterobacteria (Escherichia coli), and Pseudomonas on 20 smartwatch wristbands were cultured from randomly recruited subjects. Nearly all wristbands (95%) were contaminated, with the highest average numbers of 3.46E+4 cfu/cm<sup>2</sup> and 1.52E+4 cfu/cm<sup>2</sup> on rubber and plastic bands respectively. Metallic gold and silver wristbands had zero to 18 cfu/cm<sup>2</sup>. While the high prevalence of Staphylococcus spp (85% of wristbands)—skin microbiota;was not unexpected, the occurrence of Pseudomonas spp (30%), and enteric bacteria (60%), even at relatively low numbers is of public health significance. Bacterial load on individual subjects varied remarkably with males and females harboring average total bacteria of 4.045 and 3.42 log<sub>10</sub>cfu/cm<sup>2</sup> of wristband, respectively. The most important predictor of wristband bacteria load was the texture of wristband material and activity (hygiene) of the subject at sampling time. Potential pathogens—Staphylococcus aureus (8143 cfu/cm<sup>2</sup>) and Pseudomonas spp. (1126 cfu/cm<sup>2</sup>) were most abundant on cloth and rubber wristbands, respectively, while the presence of the E. coli group was associated with animal handling activity by a veterinarian. Lysol Disinfectant Spray and 70% Ethanol were highly effective regardless of wristband material with >99.99% kill rate and a log cfu/cm<sup>2</sup> reduction of 3 - 4.0 and 3 - 4.5 respectively within 30 seconds. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) was not as potent. Only 2 - 3.5 log cfu/cm<sup>2</sup> drop was obtained after 120 seconds of exposure. Further susceptibility assays with standard reference bacteria showed that Lysol and 70% alcohol effectively killed > 99.99% (>8 log CFU drop) of Escherichia coli strain 7001, Staphylococcus aureus strain 6538, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain 10662 within 30 seconds of contact. Vinegar had a similar efficacy on the gram negatives but little or no effect on Staph aureus (only a 2-log CFU/ml reduction in 5 minutes!) The high prevalence of potential pathogens, some of which could be reservoirs of antibiotic resistance reveals a weak link in infection control and underscores the need for regular cleaning of personal and hand-held accessories with adequate considerations of their texture.展开更多
Objective In this study we aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the wristband activity monitor against the accelerometer for children.Methods A total of 99 children(mean age = 13.0 ± 2.5 y) wore the t...Objective In this study we aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the wristband activity monitor against the accelerometer for children.Methods A total of 99 children(mean age = 13.0 ± 2.5 y) wore the two monitors in a free-living context for 7 days. Reliability was measured by intraclass correlation to evaluate consistency over time.Repeated-measures analyses of variance was used to detect differences across days. Spearman’s correlation coefficient(rho), median of absolute percentage error, and Bland-Altman analyses were performed to assess the validity of the wristband against the Acti Graph accelerometer. The optimal number of repeated measures for the wristband was calculated by using the Spearman-Brown prophecy formula.Results The wristband had high reliability for all variables, although physical activity data were different across 7 days. A strong correlation for steps(rho: 0.72, P < 0.001), and moderate correlations for time spent on total physical activity(rho: 0.63, P < 0.001) and physical activity energy expenditure(rho: 0.57, P < 0.001) were observed between the wristband and the accelerometer. For different intensities of physical activity, weak to moderate correlations were found(rho: 0.38 to 0.55, P < 0.001).Conclusion The wristband activity monitor seems to be reliable and valid for measurement of overall children’s physical activity, providing a feasible objective method of physical activity surveillance in children.展开更多
Atrial fibrillation(AF)is a common and serious disease.Its diagnosis usually requires 12-lead electrocardiogram,which is heavy and inconvenient.At the same time,the venue for diagnosis is also limited to the hospital....Atrial fibrillation(AF)is a common and serious disease.Its diagnosis usually requires 12-lead electrocardiogram,which is heavy and inconvenient.At the same time,the venue for diagnosis is also limited to the hospital.With the development of the concept of intelligent medical,a wearable,portable,and reliable diagnostic method is needed to improve the patient’s comfort and alleviate the patient’s pain.Here,we reported a wearable atrial fibrillation prediction wristband(AFPW)which can provide longterm monitoring and AF diagnosis.AFPW uses polyvinylidene fluoride piezoelectric film as sensing material and hydrogel as skin bonding material,of which the structure and design have been optimized and improved.The hydrogel skin bonding layer has good stability and skin affinity,which can greatly improve the user experience.AFPW has enhanced signal,strong signal-tonoise ratio,and wireless transmission function.After a sample library of 385 normal people/patients is analyzed and tested by linear discriminant analysis,the diagnostic success rate of atrial fibrillation is 91%.All these excellent performances demonstrate the great application potential of AFPW in wearable device diagnosis and intelligent medical treatment.展开更多
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that occurs due to loss of nerve cells that produce dopamine in the brain, affecting approximately 4 million people worldwide. PD patients often feel an increas...Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that occurs due to loss of nerve cells that produce dopamine in the brain, affecting approximately 4 million people worldwide. PD patients often feel an increase in anxiety levels daily. While there are medications/exercises to help relieve anxiety, there are limited methods to reduce anxiety without the help of a caretaker. As a result, MEDIC Foundation, a non-profit organization in British Columbia, Canada, is designing an automated system that consists of a wristband and an application which uses vi-bration therapy to help reduce anxiety of PD patients. Literature reviews were conducted to document the project’s needs. Phase I of the project focused on de-veloping a prototype for the application and phase II on developing the wrist-band. The team developed prototypes of a wristband that automatically applies vibration near the median nerve as the heart rate variability (HRV) deviates away from the normal threshold of the user, and an application that displays real-time heart rate variability signals as well as provides for relaxation. The development of the prototype is still in early progress. By creating this automated system, we aim to provide a solution to senior PD patients to relieve anxiety independently. .展开更多
文摘The potential role of personal items in the transmission of pathogens is poorly understood. In this study, we cultured bacteria of public health importance found on wristbands, determined whether there is a correlation between wristband material and prevalence, and tested three household disinfectants for efficacy in reducing bacteria on wristbands made of plastic, rubber, metal, and cloth, using standard microbiological assays. Total cultivable bacteria, Staphylococci, Enterobacteria (Escherichia coli), and Pseudomonas on 20 smartwatch wristbands were cultured from randomly recruited subjects. Nearly all wristbands (95%) were contaminated, with the highest average numbers of 3.46E+4 cfu/cm<sup>2</sup> and 1.52E+4 cfu/cm<sup>2</sup> on rubber and plastic bands respectively. Metallic gold and silver wristbands had zero to 18 cfu/cm<sup>2</sup>. While the high prevalence of Staphylococcus spp (85% of wristbands)—skin microbiota;was not unexpected, the occurrence of Pseudomonas spp (30%), and enteric bacteria (60%), even at relatively low numbers is of public health significance. Bacterial load on individual subjects varied remarkably with males and females harboring average total bacteria of 4.045 and 3.42 log<sub>10</sub>cfu/cm<sup>2</sup> of wristband, respectively. The most important predictor of wristband bacteria load was the texture of wristband material and activity (hygiene) of the subject at sampling time. Potential pathogens—Staphylococcus aureus (8143 cfu/cm<sup>2</sup>) and Pseudomonas spp. (1126 cfu/cm<sup>2</sup>) were most abundant on cloth and rubber wristbands, respectively, while the presence of the E. coli group was associated with animal handling activity by a veterinarian. Lysol Disinfectant Spray and 70% Ethanol were highly effective regardless of wristband material with >99.99% kill rate and a log cfu/cm<sup>2</sup> reduction of 3 - 4.0 and 3 - 4.5 respectively within 30 seconds. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) was not as potent. Only 2 - 3.5 log cfu/cm<sup>2</sup> drop was obtained after 120 seconds of exposure. Further susceptibility assays with standard reference bacteria showed that Lysol and 70% alcohol effectively killed > 99.99% (>8 log CFU drop) of Escherichia coli strain 7001, Staphylococcus aureus strain 6538, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain 10662 within 30 seconds of contact. Vinegar had a similar efficacy on the gram negatives but little or no effect on Staph aureus (only a 2-log CFU/ml reduction in 5 minutes!) The high prevalence of potential pathogens, some of which could be reservoirs of antibiotic resistance reveals a weak link in infection control and underscores the need for regular cleaning of personal and hand-held accessories with adequate considerations of their texture.
基金funded by National Scientific and Technological Basic Resources Investigation Program ‘Research and application of nutrition and health system for children aged 0-18 years in China’[2017FY101107]
文摘Objective In this study we aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the wristband activity monitor against the accelerometer for children.Methods A total of 99 children(mean age = 13.0 ± 2.5 y) wore the two monitors in a free-living context for 7 days. Reliability was measured by intraclass correlation to evaluate consistency over time.Repeated-measures analyses of variance was used to detect differences across days. Spearman’s correlation coefficient(rho), median of absolute percentage error, and Bland-Altman analyses were performed to assess the validity of the wristband against the Acti Graph accelerometer. The optimal number of repeated measures for the wristband was calculated by using the Spearman-Brown prophecy formula.Results The wristband had high reliability for all variables, although physical activity data were different across 7 days. A strong correlation for steps(rho: 0.72, P < 0.001), and moderate correlations for time spent on total physical activity(rho: 0.63, P < 0.001) and physical activity energy expenditure(rho: 0.57, P < 0.001) were observed between the wristband and the accelerometer. For different intensities of physical activity, weak to moderate correlations were found(rho: 0.38 to 0.55, P < 0.001).Conclusion The wristband activity monitor seems to be reliable and valid for measurement of overall children’s physical activity, providing a feasible objective method of physical activity surveillance in children.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.T2125003,82202075,and 82102231)the Beijing Natural Science Foundation(Nos.JQ20038 and L212010)+1 种基金the National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talent(No.BX20220380)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2022M710389).
文摘Atrial fibrillation(AF)is a common and serious disease.Its diagnosis usually requires 12-lead electrocardiogram,which is heavy and inconvenient.At the same time,the venue for diagnosis is also limited to the hospital.With the development of the concept of intelligent medical,a wearable,portable,and reliable diagnostic method is needed to improve the patient’s comfort and alleviate the patient’s pain.Here,we reported a wearable atrial fibrillation prediction wristband(AFPW)which can provide longterm monitoring and AF diagnosis.AFPW uses polyvinylidene fluoride piezoelectric film as sensing material and hydrogel as skin bonding material,of which the structure and design have been optimized and improved.The hydrogel skin bonding layer has good stability and skin affinity,which can greatly improve the user experience.AFPW has enhanced signal,strong signal-tonoise ratio,and wireless transmission function.After a sample library of 385 normal people/patients is analyzed and tested by linear discriminant analysis,the diagnostic success rate of atrial fibrillation is 91%.All these excellent performances demonstrate the great application potential of AFPW in wearable device diagnosis and intelligent medical treatment.
文摘Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that occurs due to loss of nerve cells that produce dopamine in the brain, affecting approximately 4 million people worldwide. PD patients often feel an increase in anxiety levels daily. While there are medications/exercises to help relieve anxiety, there are limited methods to reduce anxiety without the help of a caretaker. As a result, MEDIC Foundation, a non-profit organization in British Columbia, Canada, is designing an automated system that consists of a wristband and an application which uses vi-bration therapy to help reduce anxiety of PD patients. Literature reviews were conducted to document the project’s needs. Phase I of the project focused on de-veloping a prototype for the application and phase II on developing the wrist-band. The team developed prototypes of a wristband that automatically applies vibration near the median nerve as the heart rate variability (HRV) deviates away from the normal threshold of the user, and an application that displays real-time heart rate variability signals as well as provides for relaxation. The development of the prototype is still in early progress. By creating this automated system, we aim to provide a solution to senior PD patients to relieve anxiety independently. .