Influence of fingerprints and finger positioning on accuracy of RF blood glucose measurement from fingertips

Non-invasive blood glucose measurement has attracted great interest from researchers deploying various techniques where microwave sensing is one of them. Microwave resonators are utilized as sensors for measuring the glucose levels. A body part is placed on the sensor for a reading and the measurement principle lies in the change of the dielectric properties of blood with varying levels of glucose. The fingertip is a popular measurement site as there is a good amount fresh blood supply. The position of the fingertip on the sensor has an effect on the sensor response due to the change in the propagation path of the electromagnetic field inside the finger. Moreover, fingerprints also affect the sensor response as the irregular ridges and valleys in the fingerprint introduce air gaps altering the effective permittivity seen by the sensor. The effects of fingerprints as well as finger positioning on the sensor is explored and explained in this paper

Employing Visual Analytics to Understand Worldwide Prevalence and Impact of Diabetes Epidemic

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has declared diabetes to be one of the largest global health emergencies of the 21st century (International Diabetes Federation). IDF estimates about 415 million adults have diabetes currently and about 318 million adults having impaired glucose tolerance, making them highly susceptible to develop diabetes. As per the estimate in the year 2012, 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3% of the population, had diabetes, and diabetes was the 7th leading cause of death in the United States (American Diabetes Association). Also, the United States has the 3rd largest number of confirmed cases of diabetes after China and India (Albert Einstein College of Medicine). Diabetes is dangerous because it engenders gradual long-term complications like cardiovascular disease, nerve and kidney damage, blindness, hearing loss, and Alzheimer’s disease (Mayoclinic). In this study, we employ visual analytics to analyze and understand the prevalence and impact of diabetes worldwide and within the United States. Our analysis uncovers countries and the counties in the United States that are at higher risk of diabetes, where preventive measures and early detection can help save lives and reduce medical expenses

In silico simulation of blood glucose-insulin dynamics using MATLAB-Simulink

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major public health concern in Malaysia and it continuously increases over years. Based on International Diabetes Federation, there are rising numbers of people having diabetes with 3.6 million people in Malaysia and 463 million people in the world [1]. The National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019 has shown that the diabetes in Malaysia has increased from 13.4% in 2015 to 18.3% in 2019 [2]. This can significantly increase the cost in diabetes treatment and management

Care, Education, protection – the Associação Protectora dos Diabéticis de Portugal goes from strength to strength

The Portuguese Diabetes Association is the world’s oldest diabetes association and a senior Member Association of the International Diabetes Federation. From the moment it was founded, early in the 20th century, to the present day, the Associação has been driven by a single overarching objective: to improve the quality of life of people with diabetes. Involved nationally in diabetes advocacy and the provision of education, as well as the delivery of care, APDP has become a key player in the healthcare arena in Portugal and its activities reach many thousands of people with diabetes

From Surviving to Thriving: Evaluation of the International Diabetes Federation Life for a Child Program

IDF-LFAC aims to provide: (1) insulin and syringes; (2) blood glucose monitoring (BGM) equipment; (3) appropriate clinical care; (4) HbA1c testing; (5) diabetes education; and (6) technical support and training for health professionals, as well as 7) facilitating relevant clinical research, and where possible 8) assisting with capacity building. IDF-LFAC receives financial and in-kind support from private foundations, individuals, and corporations. Insulin and blood glucose monitoring equipment distribution is made possible by donations of insulin and the purchase of blood glucose monitors and strips at a reduced price from large pharmaceutical companies.The goal of this evaluation is to assess IDF-LFAC's organizational structure, strategic framework, processes, program impact, and potential to catalyze longterm sustainable improvements to T1D care delivery systems in its partner countries. LSHTM were commissioned to undertake the evaluation in 2014 when IDF-LFAC had active programs in 45 countries

Metabolic risk score indexes validation in overweight healthy people

The constellation of adverse cardiovascular disease (CVD) and metabolic risk factors, including elevated abdominal obesity, blood pressure (BP), glucose, and triglycerides (TG) and lowered high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), has been termed the metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) [1]. A number of different definitions have been developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) [2], the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) [3], the European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance (EGIR) [4] and, most recently, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) [5]. Since there is no universal definition of the Metabolic Syndrome, several authors have derived different risk scores to represent the clustering of its components [6-11]

Біоіндикація інтенсивності забруднення довкілля за показниками фертильності пилкових зерен різних рослин

Досліджено гонадотоксичні ефекти факторів довкілля різних районів Івано-Франківської області за показниками фертильності пилкових зерен чотирьох видів рослин. Встановлено зниження фертильності пилкових зерен рослин з хімічно забруднених міст Калуша та Бурштина і зони посиленого радіологічного контролю (села Стецева Снятинського району) порівняно з показником у рослин з відносно екологічно чистих міст Яремча та Косів. Тест на стерильність пилку може використовуватись як один з біоіндифікаційних показників забруднення довкілля.Gonadotoxic effects of the environmental factors in different districts of Ivano-Frankivsk region according to fertility indices of pollen plants of four kinds have been investigated. The reduction of the pollen plants seeds fertility from such chemically polluted towns as Kalush and Bershtyn and the region of a doubled radiologic control (Stetseva village, Snyatyn district) in comparison with the same plants from the eco-friendly towns of Yaremcha and Kosiv has been noticed. The pollen sterility test may be used as one of the bioindicative indices of the environmental pollution

Making diabetes education interactive : tangible educational toys for children with type-1 diabetes

Younger children (under 9 years) with type-1 diabetes are often very passive in the management of their condition and can face difficulties in accessing and understanding basic diabetes related information. This can make transitioning to self-management in later years very challenging. Previous research has mostly focused on educational interventions for older children. To create an educational tool which can support the diabetes educational process of younger children, we conducted a multiphase and multi-stakeholder user-centred design process. The result is an interactive tool that illustrates diabetes concepts in an age-appropriate way with the use of tangible toys. The tool was evaluated inside a paediatric diabetes clinic with clinicians, children and parents and was found to be engaging, acceptable and effective. In addition to providing implications for the design and adoption of educational tools for children in a clinical setting, we discuss the challenges for conducting user-centred design in such a setting

The associations of sedentary time and breaks in sedentary time with 24-hour glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes

The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of accelerometer-assessed sedentary time and breaks in sedentary time with 24-h events and duration of hypoglycaemia (7.8 mmol/l) and above target glucose (>9 mmol/l). Thirty-seven participants with type 2 diabetes (age, 62.8 ± 10.5 years; body mass index, 29.6 ± 6.8 kg/m2) in Glasgow, United Kingdom were enrolled between February 2016 and February 2017. Participants wore an activity monitor (activPAL3) recording the time and pattern of sedentary behaviour and a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM, Abbott FreeStyle Libre) for up to 14 days. Linear regression analyses were used to investigate the associations. Participants spent 3.7%, 64.7%, 32.1% and 19.2% of recording h/day in hypoglycaemia, euglycaemia, hyperglycaemia and above target, respectively. There was a negative association between sedentary time and time in euglycaemia (β = -0.44, 95% CI -0.86; -0.03, p = 0.04). There was a trend towards a positive association between sedentary time and time in hyperglycaemia (β = 0.36, 95% CI -0.05; 0.78, p = 0.08). Breaks in sedentary time was associated with higher time in euglycaemia (β = 0.38, 95% CI 0.00; 0.75, p = 0.04). To conclude, in individuals with type 2 diabetes, more time spent in unbroken and continuous sedentary behaviour was associated with poorer glucose control. Conversely, interrupting sedentary time with frequent breaks appears to improve glycaemic control. Therefore, this should be considered as a simple adjunct therapy to improve clinical outcomes in type 2 diabetes