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Digital intervention in loneliness in older adults: A qualitative analysis of user studies
This is the final version. Available from JMIR Publications via the DOI in this record.âŻData Availability:
The qualitative study transcripts may contain confidential information and are stored privately in The Open Universityâs figshare
repository; these can be shared on reasonable request to the corresponding author. The technology probes and screen captures of
the application are available on internetBackground: Loneliness is a significant well-being issue that affects older adults. Existing, commonly used social connection
platforms do not contain facilities to break the cognitive cycle of loneliness, and loneliness interventions implemented without
due processes could have detrimental effects on well-being. There is also a lack of digital technology designed with older adults.
Objective: We aimed to iteratively design a user-centered smartphone app that can address loneliness in older adults. The aim
of this study was to investigate the loneliness-related psychological processes that our conceptual smartphone app promotes. We
also identified the emergent needs and concerns that older adults raised regarding the potential benefits and detriments of the
app.
Methods: We used technology probes to elicit older adultsâ reflections on the concept of using the app in 2 studies as follows:
concept focus groups (n=33) and concept interviews (n=10). We then conducted a prototype trial with 1 week of use and follow-up
interviews (n=12).
Results: Thematic analysis explored the experiences and emergent challenges of our app through the design process. This led
to the development of 4 themes as follows occurring in all 3 qualitative data sets: reflection on a digital social map is reassuring;
app features encourage socializing; the risk of compounding loneliness; and individuals feel more control with mutual, socially
beneficial activities.
Conclusions: Smartphone apps have the potential to increase older adultsâ awareness of the richness of their social connections,
which may support loneliness reduction. Our qualitative approach to app design enabled the inclusion of older adultsâ experiences
in technology design. Thus, we conclude that the older adults in our study most desired functionalities that can support mutual
activities and maintain or find new connections rather than enable them to share an emotional state. They were wary of the app
replacing their preferred in-person social interaction. Participants also raised concerns about making the user aware of the lack
of support in their social network and wanted specific means of addressing their needs. Further user-centered design work could
identify how the app can support mutual activities and socializing.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research CouncilEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Counci
A História da Alimentação: balizas historiogråficas
Os M. pretenderam traçar um quadro da HistĂłria da Alimentação, nĂŁo como um novo ramo epistemolĂłgico da disciplina, mas como um campo em desenvolvimento de prĂĄticas e atividades especializadas, incluindo pesquisa, formação, publicaçÔes, associaçÔes, encontros acadĂȘmicos, etc. Um breve relato das condiçÔes em que tal campo se assentou faz-se preceder de um panorama dos estudos de alimentação e temas correia tos, em geral, segundo cinco abardagens Ia biolĂłgica, a econĂŽmica, a social, a cultural e a filosĂłfica!, assim como da identificação das contribuiçÔes mais relevantes da Antropologia, Arqueologia, Sociologia e Geografia. A fim de comentar a multiforme e volumosa bibliografia histĂłrica, foi ela organizada segundo critĂ©rios morfolĂłgicos. A seguir, alguns tĂłpicos importantes mereceram tratamento Ă parte: a fome, o alimento e o domĂnio religioso, as descobertas europĂ©ias e a difusĂŁo mundial de alimentos, gosto e gastronomia. O artigo se encerra com um rĂĄpido balanço crĂtico da historiografia brasileira sobre o tema
EGF and BMPs govern differentiation and patterning in human gastric glands
Background & Aims
The homeostasis of the gastrointestinal epithelium relies on cell regeneration and differentiation into distinct lineages organised inside glands and crypts. Regeneration depends on WNT/ÎČ-Catenin pathway activation, but to understand homeostasis and its dysregulation in disease we need to identify the signalling microenvironment governing cell differentiation. By using gastric glands as a model, we have identified the signals inducing differentiation of surface mucus-, zymogen- and gastric acid- producing cells.
Methods
We generated mucosoid cultures from the human stomach and exposed them to different growth factors to obtain cells with features of differentiated foveolar, chief and parietal cells. We localised the source of the growth factors in the tissue of origin.
Results
We show that EGF is the major fate determinant distinguishing the surface and inner part of human gastric glands. In combination with BMP/NOGGIN signals, EGF controls the differentiation of foveolar cells vs. parietal or chief cells. We also show that EGF is likely to underlie alteration of the gastric mucosa in the pre-cancerous condition atrophic gastritis.
Conclusions
Use of our recently established mucosoid cultures in combination with analysis of the tissue-of-origin provided a robust strategy to understand differentiation and patterning of human tissue and allowed us to draw a new, detailed map of the signalling microenvironment in the human gastric glands