A Tribute to Andrea Bashara

The student services office at the ISU College of Veterinary Medicine is a valuable resource for the entire population at our veterinary school. The individual who is seated behind that desk has to be knowledgeable about every aspect associated with the college and must have incredible patience, organizational and communication skills, confidence, creativity, and amicability

A Survey of Contexts for Successful Literacy Tutoring

Effective tutoring is key to successful literacy learning for at-risk children. This report provides an overview of answers to the question: What are the contexts for effective literacy tutoring? The research shows that successful reading tutoring is commonly found in four contexts: home, school, professional/community, and university settings

The interaction of Adipose Derived Stem Cells and Breast Cancer

Introduction: Mesenchymal stem cells are adult stem cells capable of self-renewal and multilineage differentiation (Schweizer et al., 2015). Adipose derived stem cells have been used in breast reconstruction following surgical intervention in breast cancer patients. MicroRNAs have been linked to gene regulation essential in oncogenic, and tumour suppression as well as cell signalling pathways in BC. Aim: To research the hypothesis of ADSCs and their therapeutic properties in BC patients. Methods: Proliferation assays were carried out to demonstrate how ADSC conditioned media influenced BC cell lines MDA-MB-231, SKBR3, and T47D. The expression of six miRNAs (miR-21, miR-133, miR-222, miR-146, miR-221, and miR-A) and three cytokines (TGF-β, RANTES, TNF- α) was determined using a variety of functional assays. Statistical analysis was performed using Minitab 20.1.0. Findings: Upregulation of miRNA expression all miR-21 co-culture samples, miR-222 T47D co-culture, and both miR-146, and miR-221’s SKBR3 BC co-culture cell line. All co-culture cells within miR-133 expression displayed downregulation of high significance, and co-culture cells lines MDA-MB-231 and SKBR3 expressing miR-222. Down-regulation was observed in all cytokine samples (p\u3c0.001) of BC cell co-cultures, apart from RANTES concentration within SKBR3 (p\u3c0.05). This research demonstrated how ADSCs have properties as a double-edged sword by providing insight upon ADSCs influence on BC malignancy properties. Which in future could be a target for novel treatment therapies, thus giving patients a better prognosis and survival rate by providing a personalised molecular approach of treatment

L’utilisation de la vidéo 360° dans la formation professionnelle des enseignants : une synthèse des connaissances [The Use of 360° Video in Teacher Education: A Synthesis of Knowledge]

360° video is a new tool that has developed and its use in teacher training began less than 10 years ago. From a systematic analysis of the existing literature using the main databases, our objective is to report on the main current research results and to be able to consider new research perspectives, but also ways to integrate this new tool. in the context of teacher training. Four main points of results have been identified: 1) 360° video as a tool for developing reflexivity in teaching, 2) 360° video as a tool for preparing and supporting internships, 3) 360° video as a tool for developing the perception of teachers

A Longitudinal Perspective on User Uptake of an Electronic Personal Health Record for Diabetes, With Respect To Patient Demographics

INTRODUCTION: The growing prevalence of diabetes has increased the need for scalable technologies to improve outcomes. My Diabetes My Way (MDMW) is an electronic personal health record (ePHR) available to all people with diabetes in Scotland since 2010, associated with improved clinical outcomes among users. MDMW pulls data from a national clinician-facing informatics platform and provides self-management and educational information. This study aims to describe MDMW user demographics through time with respect to the national diabetes population, with a view to addressing potential health inequalities. METHODS: Aggregate data were obtained retrospectively from the MDMW database and annual Scottish Diabetes Survey (SDS) from 2010 to 2020. Variables included diabetes type, sex, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and glycemic control. Prevalence of MDMW uptake was calculated using corresponding SDS data as denominators. Comparisons between years and demographic sub-groups were made using Chi- Squared tests. RESULTS: Overall uptake of MDMW has steadily increased since implementation. By 2020, of all people with T1D or T2D in Scotland, 13% were fully enrolled to MDMW (39,881/312,326). There was proportionately greater numbers of users in younger, more affluent demographic groups (with a clear social gradient) with better glycemic control. As uptake has increased through time, so too has the observed gaps between different demographic sub-groups. CONCLUSIONS: The large number of MDMW users is encouraging, but remains a minority of people with diabetes in Scotland. There is a risk that innovations like MDMW can widen health inequalities and it is incumbent upon healthcare providers to identify strategies to prevent this

User-Centered Design of A Novel Risk Prediction Behavior Change Tool Augmented With an Artificial Intelligence Engine (MyDiabetesIQ):A Sociotechnical Systems Approach

BACKGROUND: Diabetes and its complications account for 10% of annual health care spending in the United Kingdom. Digital health care interventions (DHIs) can provide scalable care, fostering diabetes self-management and reducing the risk of complications. Tailorability (providing personalized interventions) and usability are key to DHI engagement/effectiveness. User-centered design of DHIs (aligning features to end users’ needs) can generate more usable interventions, avoiding unintended consequences and improving user engagement. OBJECTIVE: MyDiabetesIQ (MDIQ) is an artificial intelligence engine intended to predict users’ diabetes complications risk. It will underpin a user interface in which users will alter lifestyle parameters to see the impact on their future risks. MDIQ will link to an existing DHI, My Diabetes My Way (MDMW). We describe the user-centered design of the user interface of MDIQ as informed by human factors engineering. METHODS: Current users of MDMW were invited to take part in focus groups to gather their insights about users being shown their likelihood of developing diabetes-related complications and any risks they perceived from using MDIQ. Findings from focus groups informed the development of a prototype MDIQ interface, which was then user-tested through the “think aloud” method, in which users speak aloud about their thoughts/impressions while performing prescribed tasks. Focus group and think aloud transcripts were analyzed thematically, using a combination of inductive and deductive analysis. For think aloud data, a sociotechnical model was used as a framework for thematic analysis. RESULTS: Focus group participants (n=8) felt that some users could become anxious when shown their future complications risks. They highlighted the importance of easy navigation, jargon avoidance, and the use of positive/encouraging language. User testing of the prototype site through think aloud sessions (n=7) highlighted several usability issues. Issues included confusing visual cues and confusion over whether user-updated information fed back to health care teams. Some issues could be compounded for users with limited digital skills. Results from the focus groups and think aloud workshops were used in the development of a live MDIQ platform. CONCLUSIONS: Acting on the input of end users at each iterative stage of a digital tool’s development can help to prioritize users throughout the design process, ensuring the alignment of DHI features with user needs. The use of the sociotechnical framework encouraged the consideration of interactions between different sociotechnical dimensions in finding solutions to issues, for example, avoiding the exclusion of users with limited digital skills. Based on user feedback, the tool could scaffold good goal setting, allowing users to balance their palatable future complications risk against acceptable lifestyle changes. Optimal control of diabetes relies heavily on self-management. Tools such as MDMW/ MDIQ can offer personalized support for self-management alongside access to users’ electronic health records, potentially helping to delay or reduce long-term complications, thereby providing significant reductions in health care costs

360° Video Integration in Teacher Education: A SWOT Analysis

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Finding a way: long-term care homes to support dementia

An ageing demographic has increased the number of people with dementia. Although dementia is commonly associated with memory loss, other early symptoms include difficulty with wayfinding. Dementia alters visuo-spatial perception and the processes used to interpret the physical environment. The role of the design of the physical environment for people with dementia has gained increased recognition. Despite this, design for dementia is often overlooked, focusing on issues relating to physical impairment. This paper presents the results of a PhD study and aims to examine the role of the design of the physical environment in supporting wayfinding for people with dementia living in long-term care settings in Northern Ireland. Mixed methods combined the observation of wayfinding walks and conversational style interviews to elicit perspectives and experiences of residents with dementia. The findings aim to promote well-being for those with dementia living in long-term care settings

Stand Up, Speak Out! Racial Justice in Healthcare Education: Experiences of Minoritised Ethnic Students

Funded by Trinity Equality Fund 2022, the Faculty of Health Sciences Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Group and Immigrant Council of Ireland launched a project entitled ‘Stand Up, Speak Out! Racial Justice in Healthcare Education’. This report articulates the lived experiences of racism in minoritised ethnic healthcare students (MEHSs) and recommends strategies to embed racial justice in healthcare education at Trinity. The report will be made available to staff and students in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Equality Office and relevant healthcare and higher education bodies in order to promote the inclusion of students’ voices in future racial justice strategies