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Found 5164 publications
Key characteristics and role of lead users in medical device innovations: An exploratory study
Publication Name: Journal of Innovation and Knowledge
Publication Date: 2025-03-01
Volume: 10
Issue: 2
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Developing medical device innovations is a lengthy and costly endeavor, so engaging the right participants early in the process is crucial. While much of the existing literature focuses on procedural aspects of innovation, the human factors that influence success are often overlooked. The Lead User Method is designed to identify key contributors based on their ability to stay ahead of market trends and realize significant benefits. However, it has been criticized for inadequacies in its identification process. To address this gap, our study distinguishes seven key personal characteristics of medical lead users that are essential for successful co-created new product development. Through case studies and semi-structured interviews, we demonstrate that engaging lead users throughout the new product development process—regardless of product complexity—enhances product-market fit and profitability. Their involvement becomes increasingly critical as the process advances, particularly during the market diffusion phase. Our research refines the Lead User Method's identification process and provides actionable insights for decision-makers, reducing uncertainty in medical device innovation while lowering development costs and time and increasing product-market fit and profitability.
Open Access: Yes
Innovation through intelligent computer-aided formulation design
Publication Name: Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering
Publication Date: 2025-03-01
Volume: 47
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This perspective paper presents a focused review of a selected topic of chemical-based products, namely, formulations. As formulations cover a wide range of chemical-based products, we highlight opportunities for innovation in three types of formulations — liquid blends, which are mixtures of chemicals that are in the liquid state at standard conditions; liquid formulations, which are mixtures of chemicals that may exist in different states but the final product is a single-phase liquid; and emulsions, which are also mixtures of chemicals that may exist in different states, but the final product is in the form of an emulsion. In each case, we discuss aspects of design, analysis, and innovation together with issues and challenges that could be tackled to find better and more sustainable products. In particular, the potential of hybrid artificial intelligence augmented computer-aided techniques that can aid in the design, analysis, and innovation of formulations is highlighted.
Open Access: Yes
THE NEED FOR A UNIVERSAL COPYRIGHT REGULATION AND AN INTERNATIONAL AUTHOR’ COOPERATION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE HUNGARIAN PLAYWRIGHTS’ ASSOCIATION
Publication Name: Cogito
Publication Date: 2025-03-01
Volume: 17
Issue: 1
Page Range: 138-152
Description:
The present study aims to examine the cooperation related to the development of international copyright law from the perspective of the Magyar Színpadi Szerzők Egyesülete (MSSE, Hungarian Playwrights’ Association). The association, founded in 1904, played an outstanding role in dealing with the shortcomings of Hungarian copyright law and the protection of the moral and financial interests of Hungarian playwrights/stage authors. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to present the Association’s contribution to various milestones of the international copyright field, such as the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works and the founding of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC). The annual conferences of the world organization, especially the 1930 Budapest International Congress of Authors, an important event of Hungarian cultural diplomacy, shall also be presented in the study. Further aims of the study include shedding light on how national and international copyright cooperation developed in the first half of the 20th century.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: DOI not available
Gender Differences in Environmental Attitudes: An Analysis Using the NEP Scale
Publication Name: Gender Issues
Publication Date: 2025-03-01
Volume: 42
Issue: 1
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This study initially conducted a systematic literature review to examine gender differences in environmental orientation (EO) using the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale. Following PRISMA guidelines, 38 studies were selected from a total of 168, providing a comprehensive overview of the existing research on the topic. Based on the insights gained from the review, a large sample survey was then conducted to explore further the differences in EO between male and female consumers. The results were compared with previous studies employing similar methodologies. The central research question is: Does gender identity influence EO as measured by the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale? The NEP scale is a well-established instrument for assessing environmental attitudes. The significance of this topic lies in the potential impact of differing attitudes among gender groups on the effectiveness of communication and comprehension. Understanding these differences is crucial for developing strategies for sustainable development through targeted and effective messaging. Our findings indicate that women exhibit a higher NEP orientation, suggesting they are more aware of environmental concerns than men. The systematic review also confirmed this trend, with the majority of studies reporting higher environmental awareness among women. Additionally, women demonstrate greater awareness of related problems and a higher willingness to change their behavior to reduce their environmental impact. In contrast, men’s attitudes are more varied, reflecting a broader diversity of opinions within this group.
Open Access: Yes
The Effects of Skill Level on Lower-Limb Injury Risk During the Serve Landing Phase in Male Tennis Players
Publication Name: Applied Sciences Switzerland
Publication Date: 2025-03-01
Volume: 15
Issue: 5
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The kinematic and kinetic performance of tennis players differs across skill levels, with joint range of motion (ROM), moments, and stiffness being strongly linked to injury risk. Focusing on the biomechanical characteristics of lower-limb joints throughout the landing stage, especially among athletes of different skill levels, aids in understanding the link between injury risk and performance level. This study recruited 15 male campus tennis enthusiasts and 15 male professional tennis players. The kinematic and kinetic differences between amateur and professional players during the landing phase of the tennis serve were analyzed using SPM1D 0.4.11 and SPSS 27.0.1, with independent-sample t-tests applied in both cases. Throughout the tennis serve’s landing stage, the professional group exhibited significantly greater sagittal plane hip-joint stiffness (p < 0.001), horizontal plane moment (59~91%; p = 0.036), and a significantly higher peak moment (p = 0.029) in comparison with the amateur group. For the knee joint, the professional group exhibited significantly larger ROM in flexion–extension (0~82%; p = 0.003); along with greater ROM (0~29%; p = 0.042), moment (12~100%; p < 0.001), peak moment (p < 0.001) in adduction-abduction; and internal–external rotational moments (19~100%; p < 0.001) were markedly higher. The professional group showed significantly higher ankle joint ROM (p < 0.001) and moments (6~74%; p = 0.004) in the sagittal plane, as well as greater horizontal-plane ROM (27~67%; p = 0.041) and peak moments (p < 0.001). Compared with amateur tennis players, professional tennis players exhibit greater ROM, joint moments, and stiffness in specific planes, potentially increasing their risk of injury during the landing phase.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/app15052681
Script-Based Material and Geometrical Modeling of Steel–Concrete Composite Connections for Comprehensive Analysis Under Varied Configurations
Publication Name: Applied Sciences Switzerland
Publication Date: 2025-03-01
Volume: 15
Issue: 6
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The behavior of steel–concrete composite structures is significantly influenced by the efficiency of the shear connections that link the two materials. This research examines the performance of stud shear connectors, with an emphasis on analyzing the effect of different geometric design parameters. A computational model was created utilizing Python 3.13 to enable thorough digital monitoring of the influence of these parameters on the structural performance of composite connections. Developed within the ABAQUS framework, the model integrates geometric nonlinearity and the Concrete Damage Plasticity (CDP) approach to achieve detailed simulation of structural behavior. Essential design aspects, including stud diameter, stud height, head dimensions, and spacing in both longitudinal and transverse directions, were analyzed. The Python-based parametric model allows for easy modification of design parameters, ensuring efficiency and minimizing modeling errors. The significance of stud diameter changes was analyzed in accordance with Eurocode standards and previous studies. It was found that stud length has a reduced effect on structural performance, particularly when considering the concrete properties used in bridge construction, where compressive failure of the concrete zone is more critical at lower concrete strengths. Additional factors, such as stud head dimensions, were investigated but were found to have minimal effect on the behavior of steel–concrete composite connections. Longitudinal stud spacing emerged as a critical factor influencing structural performance, with optimal results achieved at a spacing of 13d. Spacings of 2d, 3d, and 4d demonstrated overlapping effects, leading to significant performance reductions, as indicated by comparisons of ultimate load and force–displacement responses. For transverse spacing, closer stud arrangements proved effective in reducing the likelihood of slip at the steel–concrete interface, enhancing composite action, and lowering stress concentrations. Additionally, reducing the transverse distance between studs allowed for the use of more shear connectors, increasing redundancy and enhancing performance, especially with grouped-stud connectors (GSCs).
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/app15063095
Impact of spontaneous ventilation with intubation on perioperative results in uniportal VATS lobectomy compared to general anaesthesia using a double-lumen tube
Publication Name: Journal of Thoracic Disease
Publication Date: 2025-02-28
Volume: 17
Issue: 2
Page Range: 774-783
Description:
Background: Minimally invasive thoracic surgery is the most frequently used approach for lung resection to minimize surgical stress on the patient. To further reduce invasiveness, the non-intubated spontaneous ventilation method is applied on the anesthesia side. However, due to the unsafe airway associated with this procedure, this method is not widely adopted. This study analyzes the surgical results of our method, which involves spontaneous ventilation with double lumen tube intubation and uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lung lobectomies. Methods: Between 2015 and 2023, 302 patients underwent uniportal VATS lobectomy in two different periods, depending on the type of anesthesia. Between 2015 and 2019, traditional relaxation, double lumen tube intubation, and general anesthesia (GA) with mechanical one-lung ventilation were used for lobectomies in 210 patients (93 males, 117 females, mean age 64.3 years) (GA-VATS group). Between 2021 and 2023, 92 cases (44 males, 48 females, mean age 66.3 years) underwent lobectomy with spontaneous ventilation after a short relaxation period, double lumen intubation, and vagus nerve blockade (SVI-VATS group). Perioperative data from 66 patients in each group were analyzed after 1:1 sample propensity score matching (caliper 0.1). Results: Respecting all patients, in the GA-VATS and SVI-VATS groups, the mortality and morbidity rates were 1 (0.47%) and 0 (0%), and 52 (24.7%) (P=0.050) and 19 (20.6%) (P=0.32), respectively. The rate of grade IIIB complications was 13 (6.1%) in the GA-VATS group and 0 (0%) in the SVI-VATS group (P=0.01). The length of surgery was 91.1 vs. 86.4 min (P=0.10), duration of chest drainage was 4.64±4.58 vs. 3.39± 3.39 days (P=0.02), the rate of permanent air leak was 43 (20.4%) vs. 8 (8.7%) (P=0.001), reoperation rate was 11 (5.2%) vs. 0 (0%) (P=0.02), and the number of removed mediastinal lymph nodes was 12.7 vs. 12.7 (P=0.97) in the GA-VATS and SVI-VATS groups, respectively. After propensity score-matched analysis, there were no cases of mortality in either group. Morbidity rates were 19 (28.8%) and 15 (22.7%) (P=0.55), length of surgery was 99 vs. 86.7 min (P=0.003), duration of chest drainage was 5.1 vs. 3.8 days (P=0.02), the rate of permanent air leak was 15 (22.7%) vs. 8 (12.1%) (P=0.10), and the reoperation rate was 5 (7.57%) vs. 0 (0%) (P=0.058) in the GA-VATS and SVI-VATS groups, respectively. Conclusions: SVI-VATS lobectomy resulted in fewer complications, particularly those requiring correction under anesthesia (IIIb) and a shorter postoperative period than GA-VATS. The number of removed mediastinal lymph nodes was similar between the groups.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.21037/jtd-24-1396
Applicability of a computer retinal model for scale-dependent investigation of legibility problems
Publication Name: Heliyon
Publication Date: 2025-02-28
Volume: 11
Issue: 4
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Selecting an appropriate typeface is crucial in typography, web design, and other applications where text readability is essential. A key concept of this topic is legibility, the quality that shows how easy it is to recognize the letters of a particular font set. Previous works have measured legibility by human experiments, which has several limitations; for example, the methodology and circumstances were not entirely uniform, and the results may be distorted by the fatigue of the test subjects. This paper presents a new method using self-developed software to substitute human measurements in legibility testing. The software simulates the human retina's distortion effects (direction-dependent acuity) on test images of the assessed font's characters. Then, its output is analyzed using optical character recognition software. By integrating these techniques, we model the optical, biological, and cognitive steps of human character recognition as well. Although the simulation is imperfect, the software can perform significantly more measurements than human experiments with higher uniformity and give reproducible legibility information about significantly more fonts in various circumstances. In addition to the two scaling methods used in the literature (x-height, font-height), the tests are also performed with two other self-developed scaling methods, which provide a fairer comparison in the case of non-standard character types. This paper contains the legibility measurement results for 22 fonts under various simulated scenarios. The derived font ranking aligns closely with findings from prior human-based studies, demonstrating the robustness and reliability of the proposed method. Moreover, this approach provides valuable insights into font legibility across a broader spectrum of use cases, highlighting its potential for practical applications in typography and design.
Open Access: Yes
Solving the mystery of non-gestational beta-hCG production: Primary choriocarcinoma in the lung
Publication Name: Orvosi Hetilap
Publication Date: 2025-02-16
Volume: 166
Issue: 7
Page Range: 272-275
Description:
Choriocarcinoma is a mostly very aggressive, malignant tumor that derives from syncytiotrophoblast cells and secretes beta human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG). Choriocarcinoma is mostly gestational associated with pregnancy and there are rare non-gestational choriocarcinomas, independent of gestation and originated from germ cells mainly occurred extragenitally. Primary choriocarcinoma in the lung is very rare, and its association with kidney metastasis seems to be a literary rarity, as in a 43-year-old woman whose case history and the solving of the hormoneproducing tissue of unknown origin is reported here. Histopathological and molecular genetic diagnosis were made on the lobectomy and the nephrectomy specimen. Operative procedures (extirpations of the tumor tissue) and postoperative adjuvant chemo- and immune (antibodies against programmed cell death 1 [PD1] and its ligand [PDL1]) therapy were successfully applied. The patient is being followed up by imaging procedures and beta-hCG measurements.
Open Access: Yes
