An electronic patient-reported outcome mobile app for data collection in type a hemophilia:Design and usability study

BACKGROUND: There is currently limited evidence on the level and intensity of physical activity in individuals with hemophilia A. Mobile technologies can offer a rigorous and reliable alternative to support data collection processes but they are often associated with poor user retention. The lack of longitudinal continuity in their use can be partly attributed to the insufficient consideration of stakeholder inputs in the development process of mobile apps. Several user-centered models have been proposed to guarantee that a thorough knowledge of the end user needs is considered in the development process of mobile apps. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to design and validate an electronic patient-reported outcome mobile app that requires sustained active input by individuals during POWER, an observational study that aims at evaluating the relationship between physical activity levels and bleeding in patients with hemophilia A. METHODS: We adopted a user-centered design and engaged several stakeholders in the development and usability testing of this mobile app. During the concept generation and ideation phase, we organized a need-assessment focus group (FG) with patient representatives to elicit specific design requirements for the end users. We then conducted 2 exploratory FGs to seek additional inputs for the app’s improvement and 2 confirmatory FGs to validate the app and test its usability in the field through the mobile health app usability questionnaire. RESULTS: The findings from the thematic analysis of the need-assessment FG revealed that there was a demand for sense making, for simplification of app functionalities, for maximizing integration, and for minimizing the feeling of external control. Participants involved in the later stages of the design refinement contributed to improving the design further by upgrading the app’s layout and making the experience with the app more efficient through functions such as chatbots and visual feedback on the number of hours a wearable device had been worn, to ensure that the observed data were actually registered. The end users rated the app highly during the quantitative assessment, with an average mobile health app usability questionnaire score of 5.32 (SD 0.66; range 4.44-6.23) and 6.20 (SD 0.43; range 5.72-6.88) out of 7 in the 2 iterative usability testing cycles. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the usability test indicated a high, growing satisfaction with the electronic patient-reported outcome app. The adoption of a thorough user-centered design process using several types of FGs helped maximize the likelihood of sustained retention of the app’s users and made it fit for data collection of relevant outcomes in the observational POWER study. The continuous use of the app and the actual level of engagement will be evaluated during the ongoing trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04165135; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT0416513

Security layers and related services within the Horizon Europe NEUROPULS project

In the contemporary security landscape, the incorporation of photonics has emerged as a transformative force, unlocking a spectrum of possibilities to enhance the resilience and effectiveness of security primitives. This integration represents more than a mere technological augmentation; it signifies a paradigm shift towards innovative approaches capable of delivering security primitives with key properties for low-power systems. This not only augments the robustness of security frameworks, but also paves the way for novel strategies that adapt to the evolving challenges of the digital age. This paper discusses the security layers and related services that will be developed, modeled, and evaluated within the Horizon Europe NEUROPULS project. These layers will exploit novel implementations for security primitives based on physical unclonable functions (PUFs) using integrated photonics technology. Their objective is to provide a series of services to support the secure operation of a neuromorphic photonic accelerator for edge computing applications.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Riciclo di pannelli solari e batterie: non solo una questione ambientale

Le fonti energetiche rinnovabili si stanno affermando come energia del presente: l’impiego di risorse non soggette ad esaurimento riduce il ricorso a combustibili fossili. Produrre e utilizzare energia da fonti rinnovabili richiede lo sviluppo di nuove tecnologie, che spesso sono progettate senza pensare al loro fine vita; d’altra parte, nella logica dell’economia circolare e secondo l’approccio Life Cycle Thinking, pannelli fotovoltaici e batterie quando vengono dismessi costituiscono una rilevante criticità ambientale. Opportuni processi di riciclo permettono il recupero di materiali con vantaggi ambientali ed economici; tuttavia, per valutare in modo corretto la sostenibilità le varie opzioni di riciclo, dovrebbero essere adottati anche criteri di sicurezza e salubrità degli ambienti di lavoro. La ricerca condotta dal team SAM.lab dell’Università di Padova ha analizzato la letteratura più recente allo scopo di verificare l’attenzione data dalla comunità scientifica ad aspetti di salute e sicurezza per i processi di riciclo di tecnologie per la produzione di energia rinnovabile, in particolare pannelli fotovoltaici e batterie. I risultati dimostrano che la valutazione dei rischi per la salute e sicurezza dei lavoratori nei siti di raccolta e riciclo di queste tecnologie si sta affermando come tematica emergente. L’analisi di letteratura al contempo testimonia come gli impatti sociali dei processi di riciclo siano ancora poco esplorati, in particolare nei paesi in cui la gestione del fine vita non viene presa in carico ed è prevalentemente trasferita ad altri. La ricerca evidenza la necessità di integrare le valutazioni di impatto ambientale dei processi di riciclo con valutazioni di rischio per la salute e sicurezza dei lavoratori, così da promuovere l’innovazione circolare con soluzioni che evitino di trasferire il problema da una dimensione all’altra della sostenibilità e creare nuove criticità

The swrAA gene, regulating swarming behaviour in Bacillus subtilis, is sigD-dependent but displays additional regulative features

In Bacillus subtilis, a wild-type copy of swrAA gene is necessary for swarming and stimulates swimming motility. The biological function of its product is presently unknown. SwrAA shows no homology to any entry in Protein databases, and no particular feature can be found by in silico analysis. We therefore concentrated our efforts on the expression profile of this gene, in order to gain some insight on the role it plays in the activation of the swarming behaviour. Accurate inspection of swrAA upstream sequence, suggested the presence of sequences (TTGCCT-N17-TACAAT and TAAA-N12-CCCGATAT) for the binding of Sigma A and Sigma D respectively, the latter being almost identical to the consensus. In in vitro transcription assay, we confirmed the promoter dependence on the presence of SigD but no transcription could be detected with E(A). In vivo, site-directed mutagenesis of the SigD consensus sequence completely abolishes transcription of a PswrAA-lacZ transcriptional fusion. swrAA expression is extremely low in conditions where other sigD-dependent genes are normally well expressed but displays additional regulative features which do not affect other sigD-dependent promoters. We explored the expression profile of PswrAA in the presence of mutations which are known to impair motility. In swimming assays, the positive role of SwrAA is lost in the absence of the DegS/DegU two component system. Taken together our results point to a central role of SwrAA in the decision process B. subtilis cells face at the end of the exponential growth, possibly finely tuning the responses regulated by DegS/DegU

The swrAA gene, regulating swarming behaviour in Bacillus subtilis, is sigD-dependent but displays additional regulative features

In Bacillus subtilis, a wild-type copy of swrAA gene is necessary for swarming and stimulates swimming motility. The biological function of its product is presently unknown. SwrAA shows no homology to any entry in Protein databases, and no particular feature can be found by in silico analysis. We therefore concentrated our efforts on the expression profile of this gene, in order to gain some insight on the role it plays in the activation of the swarming behavior. Accurate inspection of swrAA upstream sequence, suggested the presence of sequences (TTGCCT-N17-TACAAT and TAAA-N12-CCCGATAT) for the binding of Sigma A and Sigma D respectively, the latter being almost identical to the consensus. In in vitro transcription assay, we confirmed the promoter dependence on the presence of SigD but no transcription could be detected with E(sigA). In vivo, site-directed mutagenesis of the SigD consensus sequence completely abolishes transcription of a PswrAA-lacZ transcriptional fusion. swrAA expression is extremely low in conditions where other sigD-dependent genes are normally well expressed but displays additional regulative features which do not affect other sigD-dependent promoters. We explored the expression profile of PswrAA in the presence of mutations which are known to impair motility. In swimming assays, the positive role of SwrAA is lost in the absence of the DegS/DegU two component system. Taken together our results (see also the work presented by Amati et al.) point to a central role of SwrAA in the decision process B. subtilis cells face at the end of the exponential growth, possibly finely tuning the responses regulated by DegS/DegU

Prenatal environment and developmental trajectories: the intrauterine growth restriction

The prenatal environment is of fundamental importance for the fetus, as the fetus is particularly susceptible to environmental influences while in utero, and several prenatal adversities may constitute a risk factor for fetal growth and child development. Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) refers to a pregnancy complication involving the inadequate growth of the fetus in utero, with potential programming consequences on the children's brain-behaviour development. In this narrative review we will discuss the most recent literature about IUGR children, including their development and their relationship with the prenatal and postnatal environment. In particular, as an attempt to an adaptive response to intrauterine changes, the brain development of IUGR fetuses follows abnormal developmental pathways, which likely has cascade effects on the future neurodevelopmental outcomes of the children. Cognitive and motor functions are in fact impaired, as well as IUGR children present, across studies, poor socio-emotional abilities and a greater risk for internalising and externalising behaviour problems. The current work also highlights how the postnatal environment, and in particular parental care, has an important role in IUGR development, acting as a protective factor, or otherwise increasing their constitutional vulnerabilities. Overall, this narrative review has important implications for clinical practice, suggesting the need for long-term follow-up care with IUGR children and strategies supporting parent-child interactions as well

An electronic patient-reported outcome mobile app for data collection in type a hemophilia: design and usability study

Background: There is currently limited evidence on the level and intensity of physical activity in individuals with hemophilia A. Mobile technologies can offer a rigorous and reliable alternative to support data collection processes but they are often associated with poor user retention. The lack of longitudinal continuity in their use can be partly attributed to the insufficient consideration of stakeholder inputs in the development process of mobile apps. Several user-centered models have been proposed to guarantee that a thorough knowledge of the end user needs is considered in the development process of mobile apps. Objective: The aim of this study is to design and validate an electronic patient-reported outcome mobile app that requires sustained active input by individuals during POWER, an observational study that aims at evaluating the relationship between physical activity levels and bleeding in patients with hemophilia A. Methods: We adopted a user-centered design and engaged several stakeholders in the development and usability testing of this mobile app. During the concept generation and ideation phase, we organized a need-assessment focus group (FG) with patient representatives to elicit specific design requirements for the end users. We then conducted 2 exploratory FGs to seek additional inputs for the app’s improvement and 2 confirmatory FGs to validate the app and test its usability in the field through the mobile health app usability questionnaire. Results: The findings from the thematic analysis of the need-assessment FG revealed that there was a demand for sense making, for simplification of app functionalities, for maximizing integration, and for minimizing the feeling of external control. Participants involved in the later stages of the design refinement contributed to improving the design further by upgrading the app’s layout and making the experience with the app more efficient through functions such as chatbots and visual feedback on the number of hours a wearable device had been worn, to ensure that the observed data were actually registered. The end users rated the app highly during the quantitative assessment, with an average mobile health app usability questionnaire score of 5.32 (SD 0.66; range 4.44-6.23) and 6.20 (SD 0.43; range 5.72-6.88) out of 7 in the 2 iterative usability testing cycles. Conclusions: The results of the usability test indicated a high, growing satisfaction with the electronic patient-reported outcome app. The adoption of a thorough user-centered design process using several types of FGs helped maximize the likelihood of sustained retention of the app’s users and made it fit for data collection of relevant outcomes in the observational POWER study. The continuous use of the app and the actual level of engagement will be evaluated during the ongoing trial