Healthcare

O’Hara and her team investigated macrocognition in pediatric intensive care units.  Macrocognition is a scientific term for thinking done in the real world by real people; the alternative is thinking that study participants do in laboratories.  For more on macrocognition, see this brief article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrocognition

Carbon dioxide levels in sleeping areas affect how well we sleep.  Mishra and colleagues conducted a related study: “Bedroom carbon dioxide level, temperature, and relative humidity were measured over 5 days, for two cases: open window or door (internal, bedroom door), and closed window and door. . . .  Average carbon dioxide level for the Open conditions was 717 ppm . . .and for Closed conditions was 1150 ppm. . . . Absolute humidity levels were similar for both conditions, while Open conditions were slightly cooler (mean = 19.7 degrees Celsius . .

Zijlstra and colleagues probed the effects of seeing images of moving nature on patient anxiety levels.  The team “investigated whether the use of motion nature projection in computed tomography (CT) imaging rooms is effective in mitigating psycho-physiological anxiety (vs. no intervention). . . . motion nature projection had a negative indirect effect on perceived anxiety through a higher level of perceived pleasantness of the room [when motion was present, anxiety was lower and the room was perceived to be more pleasant]. . . .