CAP-A : a suite of tools for data privacy evaluation of mobile applications

The utilisation of personal data by mobile apps is often hidden behind vague Privacy Policy documents, which are typically lengthy, difficult to read (containing legal terms and definitions) and frequently changing. This paper discusses a suite of tools developed in the context of the CAP-A project, aiming to harness the collective power of users to improve their privacy awareness and to promote privacy-friendly behaviour by mobile apps. Through crowdsourcing techniques, users can evaluate the privacy friendliness of apps, annotate and understand Privacy Policy documents, and help other users become aware of privacy-related aspects of mobile apps and their implications, whereas developers and policy makers can identify trends and the general stance of the public in privacy-related matters. The tools are available for public use in: https://cap-a.eu/tools/

Evaluating the data privacy of mobile applications through crowdsourcing

Consumers are largely unaware regarding the use being made to the data that they generate through smart devices, or their GDPR-compliance, since such information is typically hidden behind vague privacy policy documents, which are often lengthy, difficult to read (containing legal terms and definitions) and frequently changing. This paper describes the activities of the CAP-A project, whose aim is to apply crowdsourcing techniques to evaluate the privacy friendliness of apps, and to allow users to better understand the content of Privacy Policy documents and, consequently, the privacy implications of using any given mobile app. To achieve this, we developed a set of tools that aim at assisting users to express their own privacy concerns and expectations and assess the mobile apps’ privacy properties through collective intelligence

Systemic Measures and Legislative and Organizational Frameworks Aimed at Preventing or Mitigating Drug Shortages in 28 European and Western Asian Countries

Drug shortages have been identified as a public health problem in an increasing number of countries. This can negatively impact on the quality and efficiency of patient care, as well as contribute to increases in the cost of treatment and the workload of health care providers. Shortages also raise ethical and political issues. The scientific evidence on drug shortages is still scarce, but many lessons can be drawn from cross-country analyses. The objective of this study was to characterize, compare, and evaluate the current systemic measures and legislative and organizational frameworks aimed at preventing or mitigating drug shortages within health care systems across a range of European and Western Asian countries. The study design was retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive, and observational. Information was gathered through a survey distributed among senior personnel from ministries of health, state medicines agencies, local health authorities, other health or pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement authorities, health insurance companies and academic institutions, with knowledge of the pharmaceutical markets in the 28 countries studied. Our study found that formal definitions of drug shortages currently exist in only a few countries. The characteristics of drug shortages, including their assortment, duration, frequency, and dynamics, were found to be variable and sometimes difficult to assess. Numerous information hubs were identified. Providing public access to information on drug shortages to the maximum possible extent is a prerequisite for performing more advanced studies on the problem and identifying solutions. Imposing public service obligations, providing the formal possibility to prescribe unlicensed medicines, and temporary bans on parallel exports are widespread measures. A positive finding of our study was the identification of numerous bottom-up initiatives and organizational frameworks aimed at preventing or mitigating drug shortages. The experiences and lessons drawn from these initiatives should be carefully evaluated, monitored, and presented to a wider international audience for careful appraisal. To be able to find solutions to the problem of drug shortages, there is an urgent need to develop a set of agreed definitions for drug shortages, as well as methodologies for their evaluation and monitoring. This is being progressed

Improving the repeatability of heterochromatic flicker photometry for measurement of macular pigment optical density

Background: Heterochromatic flicker photometry (HFP) is a psychophysical technique used to measure macular pigment optical density (MPOD). We used the MPS 9000 (MPS) HFP device. Our aim was to determine if the repeatability of the MPS could be improved to make it more suitable for monitoring MPOD over time. Methods: Intra-session repeatability was assessed in 25 participants (aged 20-50 years). The resulting data was explored in detail, e.g., by examining the effect of removal and adjustment of data with less than optimal quality parameters. A protocol was developed for improved overall reliability, which was then tested in terms of inter-session repeatability in a separate group of 27 participants (aged 19-52 years). Results: Removal and adjustment of data reduced the intra-session coefficient of repeatability (CR) by 0.04, on average, and the mean individual standard deviation by 0.004. Raw data observation offered further insight into ways of improving repeatability. The proposed protocol resulted in an inter-session CR of 0.08. Conclusions: Removal and adjustment of less than optimal data improved repeatability, and is therefore recommended. To further improve repeatability, in brief we propose that each patient perform each part of the test twice, and a third time where necessary (described in detail by the protocol). Doing so will make the MPS more useful in research and clinical settings. © 2012 Springer-Verlag

Macular Pigment, its measurement in clinics and its link with Macular Disease

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

A Portfolio of Academic, Therapeutic Practice and Research Work Including an Investigation of the Experiences of Carers of People Who Hear Voices.

This portfolio represents the culmination of the three year training of becoming a Counselling Psychologist. It aims to reflect my personal and professional development through the presentation of three different dossiers, an academic, a therapeutic and a research dossier. The academic dossier incorporates three essays from three different years. The first year essay explores how the literature on the development of eating disorders in males may be of use to Counselling Psychologists working with this client group. The second year essay provides a comparative analysis of Freud's and Jung's views on religion, and finally the third year essay discusses depression through an evolutionary perspective. The therapeutic dossier aims to shed light on my clinical experience through descriptions of my placements and my placement activities and also it addresses my therapeutic practice through a reflective account of my personal and professional development as an emerging Counselling Psychologist. Finally, the research dossier consists of my literature review and my two qualitative projects. My literature review critically explores relevant research regarding the experience and psychological well-being for carers of relatives who experience psychosis. My first qualitative study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the experience for carers of relatives with psychosis and particularly their understanding and responses to voice hearing. Finally my second qualitative study employed Grounded Theory so as to provide the basis for theory building regarding the experience of facilitators of groups for carers of people experiencing severe mental health difficulties

A portfolio of a academic, therapeutic practice and research work including an investigation of the expereinces of carers of people who hear voices

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

A Portfolio of Academic, Therapeutic Practice and Research Work Including an Investigation of the Experiences of Carers of People Who Hear Voices.

This portfolio represents the culmination of the three year training of becoming a Counselling Psychologist. It aims to reflect my personal and professional development through the presentation of three different dossiers, an academic, a therapeutic and a research dossier. The academic dossier incorporates three essays from three different years. The first year essay explores how the literature on the development of eating disorders in males may be of use to Counselling Psychologists working with this client group. The second year essay provides a comparative analysis of Freud's and Jung's views on religion, and finally the third year essay discusses depression through an evolutionary perspective. The therapeutic dossier aims to shed light on my clinical experience through descriptions of my placements and my placement activities and also it addresses my therapeutic practice through a reflective account of my personal and professional development as an emerging Counselling Psychologist. Finally, the research dossier consists of my literature review and my two qualitative projects. My literature review critically explores relevant research regarding the experience and psychological well-being for carers of relatives who experience psychosis. My first qualitative study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the experience for carers of relatives with psychosis and particularly their understanding and responses to voice hearing. Finally my second qualitative study employed Grounded Theory so as to provide the basis for theory building regarding the experience of facilitators of groups for carers of people experiencing severe mental health difficulties

Language development in preschool reading out loud.

Syftet bakom denna studie är att undersöka hur förskolläraren arbetar med högläsning för att främja barns språkutveckling. Högläsningen är en aktivitet som ger barn möjligheten att utveckla sina egna tankar och även ta del av andras. Högläsningen är en viktig del i förskollärarens uppdrag med att främja barns språkutveckling och därför är det viktigt att denna aktivitet genomförs på rätt sätt. För att göra högläsningen meningsfull och begriplig krävs det att förskolläraren ger denna aktivitet utrymme, tid och gör barnen delaktiga på ett sådant sätt att de får ta del av glädjen och engagemanget i högläsningen. Metoden vi använt oss av i studien är en kvalitativ metod där intervjuer används som redskap. Vi valde intervjuer som redskap eftersom vi ville få fram förskollärarens egna tankar och upplevelser om hur de arbetar med högläsning på ett språkutvecklande sätt. Sammanlagt deltog två förskolor i studien varav sex förskollärare medverkande. Resultat I studiens resultat framkommer de sex medverkande förskollärarnas svar kring deras upplevelser och tankar kring högläsning som språkutvecklande aktivitet. Resultatet är uppbyggt i sex huvudkategorier där presenteras förskollärares upplevelser och tankar kring hur de arbetar för att högläsningen ska bli språkutvecklande. I resultatet framkommer det hur förskollärare dagligen arbetar med högläsning främst före och efter lunch, men att samtalsklimatet varierade beroende på när högläsningen skedde. De framgick att de hade som syfte att högläsningen skulle vara en språkfrämjande aktivitet, men att det inte alltid fanns tid och utrymme för att diskutera och samtala kring det lästa med barnen. Under studiens gång fick vi ta del av tips om vilka arbetsmetoder förskollärare bör använda sig av för att utveckla barns ordförråd. De medverkande förskollärarna talade om vikten att göra högläsningen meningsfylld och koppla den till barnens egna erfarenheter för att öka möjligheterna till samtal. Det framkom även hur majoriteten av förskollärarna ansåg att samspelet mellan den vuxne och barnet var en avgörande faktor för att det skulle ske en språkutveckling