A Design Framework for Adaptive Gamification Applications

The application of gamification does not always achieve the expected results due to the shortcomings of the quite common one size fits all approach of standard gamification concepts. We therefore propose a design framework that can inform systematic development of adaptive gamification applications. The developed framework draws on the current body of gamification literature, focusing on the emerging research stream of adaptive gamification. It provides design paths and design principles that translate the individual elements into concrete guidelines to assist the design practice. The framework has been successfully applied to the design and implementation of a prototype application using gamification to incentivize knowledge exchange on an existing online platform for physicians in practical medical training. The evaluation in a case study indicated positive user acceptance and increased system usage after the introduction of the developed adaptive gamification solution

Imaging biomarker roadmap for cancer studies.

Imaging biomarkers (IBs) are integral to the routine management of patients with cancer. IBs used daily in oncology include clinical TNM stage, objective response and left ventricular ejection fraction. Other CT, MRI, PET and ultrasonography biomarkers are used extensively in cancer research and drug development. New IBs need to be established either as useful tools for testing research hypotheses in clinical trials and research studies, or as clinical decision-making tools for use in healthcare, by crossing 'translational gaps' through validation and qualification. Important differences exist between IBs and biospecimen-derived biomarkers and, therefore, the development of IBs requires a tailored 'roadmap'. Recognizing this need, Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) assembled experts to review, debate and summarize the challenges of IB validation and qualification. This consensus group has produced 14 key recommendations for accelerating the clinical translation of IBs, which highlight the role of parallel (rather than sequential) tracks of technical (assay) validation, biological/clinical validation and assessment of cost-effectiveness; the need for IB standardization and accreditation systems; the need to continually revisit IB precision; an alternative framework for biological/clinical validation of IBs; and the essential requirements for multicentre studies to qualify IBs for clinical use.Development of this roadmap received support from Cancer Research UK and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (grant references A/15267, A/16463, A/16464, A/16465, A/16466 and A/18097), the EORTC Cancer Research Fund, and the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking (grant agreement number 115151), resources of which are composed of financial contribution from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) and European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) companies' in kind contribution

Patienters erfarenheter av stressorer på en intensivvårdsavdelning- En integrerad litteraturstudie

Introduktion: I sitt arbete kommer intensivvårdssjuksköterskan i kontakt med kritiskt sjuka patienter där gränsen mellan liv och död är tunn. Intensivvårdsmiljön karakteriseras av högteknologisk utrustning och hörnstenarna inom intensivvården beskrivs som diagnostik,monitorering, behandling och omvårdnad. En intensivvårdspatient kännetecknas genom att ha akut svikt i ett eller flera organsystem vilket kan medföra stora påfrestningar på patienterna genom kontinuerlig övervakning av vitalparametrar och undersökningar. Situationen patienterna befinner sig i kan skapa oro och frustration vilket kan leda till stress genom att kroppen försöker hantera och reagera på olika händelser och sinnesintryck. Syfte: Syftet med den integrerade litteraturstudien var att undersöka patienters erfarenheter av stressorer på en intensivvårdsavdelning. Metod: Författarna valde att genomföra en integrerad litteraturstudie. För att inhämta vetenskaplig litteratur har författarna använt sig av databaserna CINAHL, PubMed och PsycINFO med sökorden critically ill patient, intensive care units, stress, patient attitudes samt manuella sökningar. Efter granskning med hjälp av granskningsmallar återstod 21 vetenskapliga artiklar vilka ligger till grund för resultatet. Relevanta fragment identifierades och strukturerades vilket resulterade i fyra huvudkategorier med tillhörande underkategorier. Resultat: De fyra huvudkategorierna med dess underkategorier är:Erfarenheter av psykiska stressorer: psykosociala, ingen verklighetsförankring,beroendeställning, känslotillstånd. Erfarenheter av fysiska stressorer: ventilatorassocierade,andning, dagliga förfaranden, fastbunden, störd sömn, smärta, törst. Erfarenheter av fysiska miljörelaterade stressorer: Hektiskt, integritet, obehagliga sinnesintryck, medicinsk teknik,inventarier. Erfarenheter av psykiska miljörelaterade stressorer: inte bli sedd, inte känna delaktighet. Slutsats: Slutligen visade studien att patienter som vårdas på en intensivvårdsavdelning har olika erfarenheter av stressorer under sin vårdtid. Genom att känna till dessa stressorer kan sjuksköterskan aktivt arbeta för att minska stressorerna

Evaluation of a supported education and employment program for adolescents and young adults with mental health problems: A study protocol of the StAB project

Schniedermann I, Dehn L, Micheel SA, Beblo T, Driessen M. Evaluation of a supported education and employment program for adolescents and young adults with mental health problems: A study protocol of the StAB project. PLoS ONE. 2022;17(7): e0271803.The majority of mental illnesses begins in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood before the age of 25. The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a particularly vulnerable time for adolescents with mental illness, affecting psychosocial functioning and participation in work life. Therefore, they need-in contrast to classic standard vocational interventions-a long-term, holistic and individually oriented vocational rehabilitation program. With the innovative model project "Start in education and employment (StAB)", adolescents and young adults with mental illnesses are to be supported with regard to their vocational perspectives and participation by a new type of individualized, holistic, long-term job coaching. It follows the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) concept, as a manualized form of the Supported Employment Approach and is based on the "first place-then train" principle. In order to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of the StAB program, a double-centre prospective single arm evaluation study in a mixed-methods design will be conducted. The focus is on quantitative research analysing pre-post-effects of the StAB intervention in a two-year observational study. Young people between 15 and 25 years with a psychiatric diagnosis who are currently in receipt of means-tested benefits or are entitled to them will be recruited. The study will take place in two major cities in the north-western part of Germany, Bielefeld and Dortmund. We expect to contribute to gain more empirical data about the implementation of Supported Employment and Education to severely mentally ill adolescents and young adults in German settings. Moreover, these results may also provide the scientific foundation for future measures focusing the improvement of vocational rehabilitation for young people with mental illness. The study was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00027576) on March 10, 2022

Online Platform as a Tool to Support Postgraduate Training in General Practice – A Case Report

Objective: Physicians in postgraduate training (PPT) in General Practice (GP) typically have very little interaction with their peers, as there is usually only one resident physician working in their respective department or GP office at a given time. Therefore, the online platform KOLEGEA, presented here, aims to support postgraduate training in general practice (PT in GP) in Germany through virtual interaction.Methodology: In 2012, the interdisciplinary research project KOLEGEA set up an online platform that any physicians in PT in GP can use for free after registration with their unitary continuous education number (Einheitliche Fortbildungsnummer, EFN). It offers problem-based learning and allows to discuss self-published anonymized patient cases with the community that can be classified and discussed with experienced mentors (specialists in general practice - GPs) in small virtual groups.Results: An anonymous online survey carried out as part of the 2014 project evaluation showed a good acceptance of the platform, even though shortage of time was mentioned as a limiting factor for its use. Data analysis showed that KOLEGEA was used by PPT in GP in all federal states. Patterns of passive use were predominant (90%). This report also describes the further development of the platform (in 2015 and 2016) that integrates an activity monitor as part of a gamification concept.Conclusions: Due to a low response rate of the 2014 online survey and the preliminary evaluations of usage patterns we could identify only initial trends regarding the role of KOLEGEA in supporting PPT. The platform was perceived as a helpful supplement to better structure PT in GP

Self-healing Functional Polymers: Optical Property Recovery of Conjugated Polymer Films by Uncatalyzed Imine Metathesis

The implementation of a self-healing functionality into materials has become a prevalent approach for materials which require long-term reliability. As of today, the restoration of mechanical properties has dominated the research on self-healing materials, whereas research on healing of other functionalities (e.g., conductivity or optical properties) is still in its infancy. Here, the first conjugated polymer, which can restore its optical properties after photodamage is reported. The proposed self-healing mechanism relies on a thermally triggered imine metathesis between the conjugated polymer and additional macromolecular healing agents with no catalyst needed

Monoclonal anti-diuron antibodies prevent inhibition of photosynthesis by diuron

Two monoclonal anti-diuron antibodies were generated that bind to diuron with an extremely low equilibrium dissociation constant. The antibodies prevented and restored in vitro and in vivo the diuron-dependent inhibition of photosynthesis. In isolated thylakoids prepared from spinach leaves (Spinacia oleracea L.) the diuron-inhibited Hill reaction was reconstituted immediately after the addition of the monoclonal antibodies. The antibodies also restored the diuron-dependent inhibition of the photosynthetic oxygen evolution of the cell wall-deficient mutant cw15 of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Dangeard