Influence of Skin Diseases on Fingerprint Recognition

There are many people who suffer from some of the skin diseases. These diseases have a strong influence on the process of fingerprint recognition. People with fingerprint diseases are unable to use fingerprint scanners, which is discriminating for them, since they are not allowed to use their fingerprints for the authentication purposes. First in this paper the various diseases, which might influence functionality of the fingerprint-based systems, are introduced, mainly from the medical point of view. This overview is followed by some examples of diseased finger fingerprints, acquired both from dactyloscopic card and electronic sensors. At the end of this paper the proposed fingerprint image enhancement algorithm is described

Detection of let-7 miRNAs in urine supernatant as potential diagnostic approach in non-metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma

IntroductionUrinary microRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as a clinically useful tool for early and non-invasive detection of various types of cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether let-7 family miRNAs differ in their urinary concentrations between renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cases and healthy controls. Materials and methodsIn the case-control study, 69 non-metastatic clear-cell RCC patients and 36 gender/age-matched healthy controls were prospectively enrolled. Total RNA was purified from cell-free supernatant of the 105 first morning urine specimens. Let-7 family miRNAs were determined in cell-free supernatant using quantitative miRNA real-time reverse-transcription PCR and absolute quantification approach. ResultsConcentrations of all let-7 miRNAs (let-7a, let-7b, let-7c, let-7d, let-7e and let-7g) were significantly higher in urine samples obtained from RCC patients compared to healthy controls (P < 0.001; P < 0.001; P = 0.005; P = 0.006; P = 0.015 and P = 0.002, respectively). Subsequent ROC analysis has shown that let-7a concentration possesses good ability to differentiate between cases and controls with area under curve being 0.8307 (sensitivity 71%, specificity 81%). ConclusionsWe have shown that let-7 miRNAs are abundant in the urine samples of patients with clear-cell RCC, and out of six let-7 family members, let-7a outperforms the others and presents promising non-invasive biomarker for the detection of RCC

Examining the Usage of Scaled Agile Methods in the Czech Republic

For the purpose of gathering data about the current usage of agile software development methods in the Czech Republic, a survey among the Czech agile practitioners was conducted. The research was based on a quantitative survey based on convenience sampling and evaluated by means of descriptive statistics. The paper describes a specific part of the survey, which focuses on the Scaled Agile Methods adoption and way of usage. The sub-sample of 26 answers was analysed to gain initial insights into the patterns of adoption of these methods in the Czech Republic. The results indicate that the usage of Scaled Agile Methods is not insignificant and generally in line with global results. The paper also outlines to what extent Scaled Agile Methods are tailored to company needs and how their benefits to project success are perceived by practitioners

Designing a Mobile e-Coaching App for Immigrant Informal Caregivers : Qualitative Study Using the Persuasive System Design Model

Background: Informal caregivers are vital in caring for their family and friends at home who may have illnesses or disabilities. In particular, the demands for caregiving can be even more challenging for those with limited resources, support systems, and language barriers, such as immigrant informal caregivers. They face complex challenges in providing care for their relatives. These challenges can be related to sociocultural diversity, language barriers, and health care system navigation. Acknowledging the global context of the increasing number of immigrants is essential in designing inclusive mobile health apps. Objective: This study aims to investigate the needs of immigrant informal caregivers in Sweden and discuss the application of the Persuasive System Design Model (PSDM) to develop an e-coaching prototype. By addressing the unique challenges faced by immigrant informal caregivers, this study will contribute to the development of more effective and inclusive mobile health apps. Methods: The participants were considered immigrants and included in the study if they and their parents were born outside of Sweden. Through various channels, such as the National Association of Relatives, rehabilitation departments at municipalities, and immigrant groups, we recruited 13 immigrant informal caregivers. These immigrant informal caregivers were primarily women aged 18 to 40 years. Most participants belonged to the Middle Eastern region whereas some were from North Africa. However, all of them spoke Arabic. We used semistructured interviews to gather data from the participants in Arabic, which were translated into English. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and discussed in relation to the extended PSDM. The needs of the caregivers were compared with the description of persuasive design principles, and a design principle was chosen based on the match. The PSDM was extended if the need description did not match any principles. Several brainstorming and prototyping sessions were conducted to design the mobile e-coaching app. Results: Immigrant informal caregivers have various needs in their caregiving role. They reported a need for training on the illness and future caregiving needs, assistance with understanding the Swedish language and culture, and help with accessing internet-based information and services. They also required recognition and appreciation for their efforts, additional informal support, and easy access to health care services, which can be important for their mental health. The PSDM was adapted to the informal caregiving context by adding “facilitating conditions” and “verbal encouragement” as additional persuasive design principles. This study also presents the subsequent mobile e-coaching app for immigrant informal caregivers in Sweden. Conclusions: This study revealed important immigrant informal caregivers’ needs based on which design suggestions for a mobile e-coaching app were presented. We also proposed an adapted PSDM, for the informal caregiving context. The adapted PSDM can be further used to design digital interventions for caregiving

How To Train Your Stakeholders: Skill Training In Participatory Health Research

Currently, health research increasingly involves diverse groups of stakeholders. Such collaborations occur on various levels, where in some cases, stakeholders become co-researchers. However, these stakeholders (e.g. patients) are not always trained in the necessary research skills. On the other hand, researchers are not trained to collaborate with stakeholders. While there is agreement that skill training should be offered as an integral part of participatory health, so far knowledge is lacking on what such a training should look like. This workshop aims to collect experiences from those who have either previously implemented stakeholder skill training or have experiences where stakeholder skill training was lacking but would have been beneficial, and facilitate the exchange of ideas between participants who are interested in the topic. The outcomes will be communicated in ways that are accessible for academic and non-academic stakeholders and will provide them with guidance for conducting stakeholder skill training

How To Train Your Stakeholders: Skill Training In Participatory Health Research

Currently, health research increasingly involves diverse groups of stakeholders. Such collaborations occur on various levels, where in some cases, stakeholders become co-researchers. However, these stakeholders (e.g. patients) are not always trained in the necessary research skills. On the other hand, researchers are not trained to collaborate with stakeholders. While there is agreement that skill training should be offered as an integral part of participatory health, so far knowledge is lacking on what such a training should look like. This workshop aims to collect experiences from those who have either previously implemented stakeholder skill training or have experiences where stakeholder skill training was lacking but would have been beneficial, and facilitate the exchange of ideas between participants who are interested in the topic. The outcomes will be communicated in ways that are accessible for academic and non-academic stakeholders and will provide them with guidance for conducting stakeholder skill training