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Purpose This study is a secondary analysis of the IDOSP trial published in the Annals of Surgery 2020. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of stereo acuity on surgical performance in a laparoscopic training parkour with 3D- versus 4 K-2D-display technique. Methods The surgical performance of medical students (MS), non-board-certified surgeons (NBC), and board-certified surgeons (BC) was compared using 3D- versus 4 K-2D-display technique at a training parkour in a randomized cross-over trial. Stereo acuity was tested by TNO and Titmus Stereo tests. Results Eighty-nine participants were included in this sub-trial. The median stereo acuity for all participants, measured with the Titmus test, was 25 s arc, with TNO test 30 s arc. Higher quality stereo vision, measured with the Titmus test, correlated significantly with a reduced parkour time (r = 0.26, p = 0.02) and error (r = 0.21, p = 0.048) with the 3D screen. The TNO test did not correlate significantly with parkour performance. There was no statistically significant correlation between parkour time nor error and stereo acuity using the 4 K system (p > 0.457 respectively). Higher age showed a significant correlation with lower stereo acuity measured with TNO (r = 0.21, p = 0.014), but not with the Titmus test (r = − 0.7, p = 0.39). Seven percent of the group “NBC and BC” showed reduced stereo acuity > 120 s arc with the Titmus test and 3% with the TNO test. Conclusion High-quality stereo vision is of utmost importance for surgical skills using a 3D-display system. This was most obvious for MS and for tasks that place particularly high demands on hand–eye coordination. The Titmus test was more precise than the TNO test to predict the benefit of a 3D monitor system. Experience and fine motor skills could partly compensate for a poorer stereo acuity. Trial registration This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (trial number: NCT03445429, registered February 26, 2018).

Rationale A new compact thermal ionization (TI) mass spectrometer, for the isotope ratio analysis of the elements relevant to nuclear applications, has been designed and developed. The new development offers superior performance in terms of sensitivity, precision and a compact footprint in comparison with the conventional one. The main feature of the TI mass spectrometer is the magnetic sector analyser with a sector radius of 20 cm (instead of 30/27 cm in conventional/commercial geometry). An apparent reduction in dispersion has been adequately compensated by employing variable dispersion zoom optics (VDZO). Methods The theoretical calculations were validated by computer simulations using SIMION 7.0, leading to the finalization of the mechanical design. Experimental evaluation was carried out using standard TI mass spectrometric methodology to determine the parameters, namely peak flatness, mass range, sensitivity, abundance sensitivity, resolution and precision. Results The multi-collector resolution was 496, and the maximum mass was m/z 382. The sensitivity for uranium was found to be better than 1 ion for 500 atoms, and an abundance sensitivity of 50 ppm at m/z 237 was obtained. The peak flatness for the uranium peak was 3200 ppm of mass. The precision for the isotopic ratio 235 U/238 U was found to be 0.05% for the U200 standard. Conclusions A new compact TI mass spectrometer with a 20 cm sector radius has been designed and developed. The advantage of larger dispersion produced by the VDZO (developed in-house) was exploited when deciding the 20 cm sector radius. The comparison study with the conventional TI mass spectrometer shows an enhanced (1.5×) sensitivity and an improved precision (0.05%) for the 235 U/238 U ratio of U200.

BACKGROUND Objective Structured Clinical Examination is a standard method of testing declarative and process knowledge in clinical core competencies. It is desirable that students undergo Objective Structured Clinical Examination training before participating in the exam. However, establishing Objective Structured Clinical Examination training is resource intensive and therefore there is often limited practice time. Web-based immersive patient simulators such as ALICE (Artificial Learning Interface of Clinical Education) can possibly fill this gap as they allow for the training of complex medical procedures at the user’s individual pace and with an adaptable number of repetitions at home. ALICE has previously been shown to positively influence knowledge gain and motivation. OBJECTIVE Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a Web-based curriculum that teaches declarative and process knowledge and prepares students for a real Objective Structured Clinical Examination station. Furthermore, we wanted to test the influence of ALICE on knowledge gain and student motivation. METHODS A specific curriculum was developed in order to implement the relevant medical content of 2 surgical Objective Structured Clinical Examination stations into the ALICE simulator framework. A total of 160 medical students were included in the study, where 100 students had access to ALICE and their performance was compared to 60 students in a control group. The simulator performance was validated on different levels and students’ knowledge gain and motivation were tested at different points during the study. RESULTS The curriculum was developed according to the Kern cycle. Four virtual clinical cases were implemented with different teaching methods (structured feedback, keynote speech, group discussion, and debriefing by a real instructor) in order to consolidate declarative and process knowledge. Working with ALICE had significant impact on declarative knowledge gain and Objective Structured Clinical Examination performance. Simulator validation was positive for face, content, construct, and predictive validity. Students showed high levels of motivation and enjoyed working with ALICE. CONCLUSIONS ALICE offers Web-based training for Objective Structured Clinical Examination preparation and can be used as a selective didactic intervention as it has positive effect on knowledge gain and student motivation.

An electronic nose based on ZnO nanowires (NWs) for toxic gas detection has been demonstrated. In order to realize the multiple sensor array the ZnO NW film was selectively modified with Al, Ti, and Au layer resulting in an array of 4 × 3 sensor films. Data repository was prepared using an indigenously developed data acquisition system, testing chamber and a Labview based program. The data bank is generated by recording the response curve of the sensor array towards NO 2 , NO and H 2 S as a function of gas concentration. A simple bar chart is used to identify the target gas. It indicates a unique signature pattern for the gases under investigation.

In the present work, a commercial device for the detection of H 2 S using SnO 2 ; CuO thin film as a sensing material has been demonstrated. A complete device consist of SnO 2 : CuO sensor thin film deposited on alumina substrate, teflon head in stainless steel housing containing the temperature control circuit with Pt-50 based heater and Pt-100 as reader, and a stand-alone monitor consisting of Data Acquisition & Control Board (DACB) and touch screen based human-machine interface (HMI) module. The monitor measures the change in resistance of sensor element on exposure to gas and displays the result in concentration (ppm). The monitor is also provided with a programmable alarm set point, touch switch to change between Normal/ Calibration Mode and provision to enter the historical logs like last sensor installation date, last sensor calibration date, last fault detail etc,.