Rhesus Blood Typing within a Few Seconds by Packing-Enhanced Nanoscattering on Individual Erythrocytes.

A method for the ABO and Rhesus (Rh) blood group typing from individual erythrocytes is proposed in this study. Blood-group-specific antibodies immobilized to gold nanoparticles (BG-AuNP) were utilized for the identification of blood groups from individual erythrocytes by objective-type dark-field microscopy (OTDFM). The scattering of free BG-AuNP and their Brownian motion as well as BG-AuNP attached on erythrocytes is easily observed by OTDFM. The strong scattering intensity caused by BG-AuNP packing-enhanced nanoscattering (PENS) on erythrocytes is first demonstrated. PENS combined with OTDFM allows us to identify blood groups within 5 s for all blood group antigens including A, B, D, C, c, E, and e. This was immediately identified by mixing with BG-AuNP without any washing step or waiting for hemoagglutination. Therefore, PENS combined with OTDFM demonstrates feasibility and advantages for use in emergency transfusions where the blood group of patients is unknown. Moreover, matching RhD+ in the case of emergency transfusions may also be beneficial in reducing the shortage of RhD- red blood cell concentrate in the case of a population with a high frequency in RhD-.

Encouraging overweight students with intellectual disability to actively perform walking activity using an air mouse combined with preferred stimulation.

This study continues the research on using an air mouse as a physical activity detector. An air mouse is embedded with a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) gyro sensor, which can measure even the slightest movement in the air. The air mouse was strapped to one of each participant's calves to detect walking activity. This study was conducted to evaluate whether four students with intellectual disability who were overweight and disliked exercising could be motivated to engage in walking actively by linking the target response with preferred stimulation. Single-subject research with ABAB design was adopted in this study. The experimental data showed substantial increases in the participants' target responses (i.e. the performance of the activity of walking) during the intervention phases compared to the baseline phases. The practical and developmental implications of the findings are discussed.

Encouraging obese students with intellectual disabilities to engage in pedaling an exercise bike by using an air mouse combined with preferred environmental stimulation.

This study extended research into the application of high-tech products in the field of special education, using a standard air mouse with a newly developed pedal detection program (PDP) software. PDP is a new software program used to turn a standard air mouse into a pedal detector in order to evaluate whether two obese students with intellectual disabilities (ID) would be able to actively perform the activity of pedaling an exercise bike in order to control their preferred environmental stimulation. This study was performed according to an ABAB design. The data showed that both participants had more willingness to engage in the pedaling activity to activate the environmental stimulation in the intervention phases than in the baseline phase. The practical and developmental implications of the findings are discussed.

Improving fine motor activities of people with disabilities by using the response-stimulation strategy with a standard keyboard.

The principle of this study was to use the finger-pressing position detection program (FPPDP) with a standard keyboard to improve the fine motor activities of disabled people through environmental stimulation. The FPPDP is a software solution which turns a standard keyboard into a finger-pressing position detector. By using this technique, this study tried to find out whether two students with developmental disabilities would be able to effectively perform fine motor activities through the triggering of environmental stimulation. This study was based on an ABAB design and the results showed that both participants demonstrated an obvious increase in terms of their willingness to perform target responses during the intervention phases. The practical and developmental implications of the findings are discussed.

Enabling people with developmental disabilities to actively follow simple instructions and perform designated occupational activities according to simple instructions with Battery-free wireless mice by controlling environmental stimulation.

This study extended Battery-free wireless mouse functionality to assess whether two people with developmental disabilities would be able to actively perform designated simple occupational activities according to simple instructions by controlling their favorite environmental stimulation using Battery-free wireless mice with a newly developed extended object location detection program (EOLDP). This study was performed according to an ABAB sequence in which A represented the baseline and B represented intervention phases. Data showed that both participants significantly increased their target responses (performing a designated occupational activity) by activating the control system to produce their preferred environmental stimulation during the intervention phases. Practical and developmental implications of the findings are discussed.

Assisting patients with disabilities to actively perform occupational activities using battery-free wireless mice to control environmental stimulation.

The latest studies have adopted software technology to turn the battery-free wireless mouse into a high performance object location detector using a newly developed object location detection program (OLDP). This study extended OLDP functionality to assess whether two patients recovering from cerebral vascular accidents would be able to actively perform occupational activities by controlling their favorite environmental stimulation using battery-free wireless mice and OLDP software. Using an ABAB design we found substantial increases in both participants' target responses (i.e. the performance of occupational activities) to activate the control system to produce environmental stimulation during intervention phrases. The practical and developmental implications of the findings are discussed.

A wireless object location detector enabling people with developmental disabilities to control environmental stimulation through simple occupational activities with Nintendo Wii Balance Boards.

The latest researches have adopted software technology, turning the Nintendo Wii Balance Board into a high performance standing location detector with a newly developed standing location detection program (SLDP). This study extended SLDP functionality to assess whether two people with developmental disabilities would be able to actively perform simple occupational activities by controlling their favorite environmental stimulation using Nintendo Wii Balance Boards and SLDP software. An ABAB design was adopted in this study to perform the tests. The test results showed that, during the intervention phases, both participants significantly increased their target response (i.e. simple occupational activity) to activate the control system to produce environmental stimulation. The practical and developmental implications of the findings are discussed.

Enabling people with developmental disabilities to actively perform designated occupational activities according to simple instructions with a Nintendo Wii Remote Controller by controlling environmental stimulation.

The latest researches have adopted software technology, turning the Nintendo Wii Remote Controller into a high performance three-dimensional object orientation detector. This study extended Wii Remote Controller functionality to assess whether two people with developmental disabilities would be able to actively perform designated simple occupational activities according to simple instructions by controlling their favorite environmental stimulation using a Nintendo Wii Remote Controller. This study was conducted using ABAB designs. The data showed that both participants significantly increased their target response (performing a designated occupational activity) by activating the control system to produce their preferred environmental stimulation during the intervention phases.

A three-dimensional object orientation detector assisting people with developmental disabilities to control their environmental stimulation through simple occupational activities with a Nintendo Wii Remote Controller.

This study evaluated whether two people with developmental disabilities would be able to actively perform simple occupational activities to control their preferred environmental stimulation using a Nintendo Wii Remote Controller with a newly developed three-dimensional object orientation detection program (TDOODP, i.e. a new software program, which turns a Wii Remote Controller into a three-dimensional object orientation detector). An ABAB design, in which A represented the baseline and B represented intervention phases, was adopted in this study. The data shows that the performance of both participants has significantly increased (i.e. they perform more simple occupational activities to activate the control system to produce environmental stimulation) during the intervention phases. The practical and developmental implications of the findings are discussed.

Assisting children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder actively reduces limb hyperactive behavior with a Nintendo Wii Remote Controller through controlling environmental stimulation.

The latest studies have adopted software technology which turns the Wii Remote Controller into a high-performance limb action detector, we assessed whether two persons with multiple disabilities would be able to control an environmental stimulus through limb action. This study extends the functionality of the Wii Remote Controller to the correction of limb hyperactive behavior to assess whether two children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) would be able to actively reduce their limb hyperactive behavior through controlling their favorite stimuli by turning them on/off using a Wii Remote Controller. An ABAB design, in which A represented the baseline and B represented intervention phases, was adopted in this study. Result showed that both participants significantly increased their time duration of maintaining a static limb posture (TDMSLP) to activate the control system in order to produce environmental stimulation in the intervention phases. Practical and developmental implications of the findings are discussed.

A limb action detector enabling people with multiple disabilities to control environmental stimulation through limb action with a Nintendo Wii Remote Controller.

This study assessed whether two persons with multiple disabilities would be able to control environmental stimulation using limb action with a Nintendo Wii Remote Controller and a newly developed limb action detection program (LADP, i.e., a new software program that turns a Wii Remote Controller into a precise limb action detector). This study was carried out according to an ABAB sequence in which A represented baseline and B represented intervention phases. Data showed that both participants significantly increased their target response, thus increasing the level of environmental stimulation by activating the control system through limb action, during the intervention phases. Practical and developmental implications of the findings are discussed.

A new limb movement detector enabling people with multiple disabilities to control environmental stimulation through limb swing with a gyration air mouse.

This study assessed whether two persons with multiple disabilities would be able to control environmental stimulation using limb swing with a gyration air mouse and a newly developed limb movement detection program (LMDP, i.e., a new software program that turns a gyration air mouse into a precise limb movement detector). The study was performed according to an ABAB design, A representing baseline and B representing intervention phases. Data showed that during the intervention phases both participants significantly increased their target response to produce environmental stimulation by activating the control system through limb swing. Practical and developmental implications of the findings are discussed.

Assisting people with multiple disabilities and minimal motor behavior to improve computer pointing efficiency through a mouse wheel.

This study evaluated whether two people with multiple disabilities and minimal motor behavior would be able to improve their pointing performance using finger poke ability with a mouse wheel through a Dynamic Pointing Assistive Program (DPAP) and a newly developed mouse driver (i.e., a new mouse driver replaces standard mouse driver, changes a mouse wheel into a thumb/finger poke detector, and intercepts mouse action). Initially, both participants had their baseline sessions. Then intervention started with the first participant. When his performance was consolidated, new baseline and intervention occurred with the second participant. Finally, both participants were exposed to maintenance phase, in which their pointing performance improved significantly. Both participants improved their pointing efficiency with the use of DPAP and remained highly successful through maintenance phase. Implications of the findings are discussed.

[SARS prevention and nursing in traditional Chinese medicine].

This study adopts the concept of the three levels of prevention from traditional Chinese medicine to discuss Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) prevention and nursing. The emphasis in traditional Chinese medicine is on primary and tertiary prevention. The study presents nursing interventions based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), including daily care, diets, massage care, exercise, and Chinese psychosocial care. This course of interventions is designed for the consideration of nurses caring for SARS patients and to bolster their ability to fight the disease.