CWDM: A Case-based Diabetes Management Web System

Managing diabetes using intelligent techniques is a recent priority for healthcare information systems and the medical domain. Diabetes is one of the most widespread diseases around the world including Australia. Numerous intelligent systems supporting diabetes management (DM) have been widely deployed, yet how to effectively develop a DM system integrating intelligent techniques remains a big issue. Case-based reasoning (CBR), as an intelligent technique, has been applied in various fields including customer services, medical diagnosis, and clinical treatment. This paper proposes a case-based lifecycle for DM consisting of case-based symptoms, case-based diagnosis, case-based prognosis, case-based treatment, and case-based care. The lifecycle is integrated with a web-based system in which CBR functions as an intelligent intermediary. The approach proposed in this research might facilitate research and development of diabetes management, healthcare information systems and intelligent systems

Aspirational metrics: a guide for working towards citational justice

Is it possible to have a just politics of citation? Reflecting on their work to create a guide to fairer citation practices in academic writing, Aurélie Carlier, Hang Nguyen, Lidwien Hollanders, Nicole Basaraba, Sally Wyatt and Sharon Anyango* highlight challenges to changing citation practices and point to ways in which authors and readers can work towards equitable citations

An acto-myosin II constricting ring initiates the fission of activity-dependent bulk endosomes in neurosecretory cells

Activity-dependent bulk endocytosis allows neurons to internalize large portions of the plasma membrane in response to stimulation. However, whether this critical type of compensatory endocytosis is unique to neurons or also occurs in other excitable cells is currently unknown. Here we used fluorescent 70 kDa dextran to demonstrate that secretagogue-induced bulk endocytosis also occurs in bovine chromaffin cells. The relatively large size of the bulk endosomes found in this model allowed us to investigate how the neck of the budding endosomes constricts to allow efficient recruitment of the fission machinery. Using time-lapse imaging of Lifeact–GFP-transfected chromaffin cells in combination with fluorescent 70 kDa dextran, we detected acto-myosin II rings surrounding dextran-positive budding endosomes. Importantly, these rings were transient and contracted before disappearing, suggesting that they might be involved in restricting the size of the budding endosome neck. Based on the complete recovery of dextran fluorescence after photobleaching, we demonstrated that the actin ring-associated budding endosomes were still connected with the extracellular fluid. In contrast, no such recovery was observed following the constriction and disappearance of the actin rings, suggesting that these structures were pinched-off endosomes. Finally, we showed that the rings were initiated by a circular array of phosphatidylinositol(4,5)bisphosphate microdomains, and that their constriction was sensitive to both myosin II and dynamin inhibition. The acto-myosin II rings therefore play a key role in constricting the neck of budding bulk endosomes before dynamin-dependent fission from the plasma membrane of neurosecretory cells

The effect of psychological treatment on repetitive negative thinking in youth depression and anxiety : A meta-analysis and meta-regression

Background Depression and anxiety are prevalent in youth populations and typically emerge during adolescence. Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a putative transdiagnostic mechanism with consistent associations with depression and anxiety. Targeting transdiagnostic processes like RNT for youth depression and anxiety may offer more targeted, personalised and effective treatment. Methods A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effect of psychological treatments on RNT, depression and anxiety symptoms in young people with depression or anxiety, and a meta-regression to examine relationships between outcomes. Results Twenty-eight randomised controlled trials examining 17 different psychological interventions were included. Effect sizes were small to moderate across all outcomes (Hedge's g depression = −0.47, CI −0.77 to −0.17; anxiety = −0.42, CI −0.65 to −0.20; RNT = −0.45, CI −0.67 to −0.23). RNT-focused and non-RNT focused approaches had comparable effects; however, those focusing on modifying the process of RNT had significantly larger effects on RNT than those focusing on modifying negative thought content. Meta-regression revealed a significant relationship between RNT and depression outcomes only across all intervention types and with both depression and anxiety for RNT focused interventions only. Conclusion Consistent with findings in adults, this review provides evidence that reducing RNT with psychological treatment is associated with improvements in depression and anxiety in youth. Targeting RNT specifically may not lead to better outcomes compared to general approaches; however, focusing on modifying the process of RNT may be more effective than targeting content. Further research is needed to determine causal pathways

Four-point bending evaluation of dentin-composite interfaces with various stresses

Fracture properties of composite-dentin beams bonded with a self?etching adhesive were tested following short term pretreatments to simulate potential degradation mechanisms (thermal cycling, immersion in 5% NaOCl, or fatigue cycling). Beams of rectangular cross-section were shaped to a size of ~0.87 x 0.87 x 10 mm and placed in a four-point bending apparatus, with the loading points 1.8 and 7.2 mm apart, with the interface centered between the inner rollers. Testing was performed in Hanks? Balanced Salt Solution at 25 ?C . Solid dentin and solid composite beams [n = 6] had bending strengths of 164.4 and 164.6 MPa, respectively, under monotonically increasing loads. Bonded beams [n = 6] had strengths of 56.3 MPa. Thermo-cycling (5? to 55?C), NaOCl solution immersion, or 105 of pre-fatigue cycles did not decrease the strength. Conclusion: Thermal stress, exposure to NaOCL, or 105 cycles of mechanical stress does not decrease bond strength of composite bonded to dentin as tested in four-point bending

Four-point bending evaluation of dentin-composite interfaces with various stresses

Fracture properties of composite-dentin beams bonded with a self?etching adhesive were tested following short term pretreatments to simulate potential degradation mechanisms (thermal cycling, immersion in 5% NaOCl, or fatigue cycling). Beams of rectangular cross-section were shaped to a size of ~0.87 x 0.87 x 10 mm and placed in a four-point bending apparatus, with the loading points 1.8 and 7.2 mm apart, with the interface centered between the inner rollers. Testing was performed in Hanks? Balanced Salt Solution at 25 ?C . Solid dentin and solid composite beams [n = 6] had bending strengths of 164.4 and 164.6 MPa, respectively, under monotonically increasing loads. Bonded beams [n = 6] had strengths of 56.3 MPa. Thermo-cycling (5? to 55?C), NaOCl solution immersion, or 105 of pre-fatigue cycles did not decrease the strength. Conclusion: Thermal stress, exposure to NaOCL, or 105 cycles of mechanical stress does not decrease bond strength of composite bonded to dentin as tested in four-point bending

Measures of Anxiety and Mindfulness in Student Pharmacists after Conducting a Relaxation Activity

Student pharmacists experience stress, work overload, and burnout throughout the intensive Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum. In Spring 2016, ninety-five student pharmacists were recruited from Southwestern Oklahoma State University College of Pharmacy to be a part of a study to investigate the potential usefulness of relaxation in improving personal well-being. Study participants were assigned to conduct one of the following activities: body scan, mindful meditation, 4x4 breathing meditation, power posing, or mental stimulation by using the Word Streak mobile app. After conducting the activity and providing saliva samples for evaluation of physiological biomarkers, participants completed validated surveys to assess anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder, GAD-7, and Four System Anxiety Questionnaire, FSAQ) and mindfulness (Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills, KIMS). In preparation for an upcoming mindfulness study, it was determined that the 2016 survey data was never analyzed. Therefore, our objectives were to examine past levels of anxiety and mindfulness in these student pharmacists, and to evaluate factors such as assigned activity, gender, and year in pharmacy school which could have impacted survey scores. Data were analyzed by Chi-Square tests for categorical data (GAD-7) and non-parametric tests for scores (FSAQ and KIMS) using JASP (Version 0.12.2) [JASP Team (2020), Amsterdam, the Netherlands]. No significant differences (p \u3e 0.05) were found when evaluating the effects of assigned activity on survey results. Anxiety, as measured by GAD-7 illustrated most student pharmacists had mild and minimal anxiety levels (p \u3c 0.001). The FSAQ results suggest student pharmacists overall had highest anxiety levels in the “somatic” category and lowest in the “feeling” category (p \u3c 0.001). As measured by KIMS, the “observe” component of mindfulness was found to be highest in student pharmacists, while their perceived ability to “describe” thoughts, feelings, and sensations was lowest (p \u3c 0.001). Neither gender nor year in pharmacy school significantly impacted KIMS (p \u3e 0.337) or GAD-7 scores (p \u3e 0.323). Within the somatic category of the FSAQ, female student pharmacists experienced higher anxiety as compared to their male counterparts (p = 0.047), and students in their second year of pharmacy school had higher anxiety scores as compared to first-year students (p \u3c 0.015). Findings from Spring 2016 suggest that, while overall anxiety levels were low in student pharmacists, specific components of anxiety and mindfulness could be targeted for improvement. These findings will be compared to the results of current studies as being performed by these researchers, who are investigating the anxiety, mindfulness, and application of relaxation techniques in student pharmacists dealing with the challenges and uncertainty of COVID-19

Physical Activity Programs with Post-Intervention Follow-Up in Children: A Comprehensive Review According to Categories of Intervention.

International audienceOnly 9% of Canadian children meet the National Guidelines of 60 min of daily moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity. The aim of this review is to assess the mid- and long-term effectiveness of physical activity interventions and their impact on cardiovascular risk factors in children. We assessed the success of interventions within three different categories: those using a behavioural and social approach, an informational approach or an environmental approach. The average number of children included in these studies was 860 (range of 30-5106); the age range was from 2 to 18 years; and the mean intervention duration was 1607 min (range of 12-8160 min). The length of follow-up post-intervention averaged 13 months (ranging from 0.25 to 96 months). A positive impact on physical activity was found in 74% and on any measured outcomes in 90% of the studies reviewed. However, the benefits of physical activity interventions decreased with longer follow-up. Regardless of the approaches, physical activity interventions improved cardiovascular risk factors. However, the challenge of any program is to maintain beneficial effects once the intervention is completed. These findings will inform the development of future intervention programs in order to optimize sustained cardiovascular benefits

Small Molecules Greatly Improve Conversion of Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to the Neuronal Lineage

Efficient in vitro differentiation into specific cell types is more important than ever after the breakthrough in nuclear reprogramming of somatic cells and its potential for disease modeling and drug screening. Key success factors for neuronal differentiation are the yield of desired neuronal marker expression, reproducibility, length, and cost. Three main neuronal differentiation approaches are stromal-induced neuronal differentiation, embryoid body (EB) differentiation, and direct neuronal differentiation. Here, we describe our neurodifferentiation protocol using small molecules that very efficiently promote neural induction in a 5-stage EB protocol from six induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) lines from patients with Parkinson's disease and controls. This protocol generates neural precursors using Dorsomorphin and SB431542 and further maturation into dopaminergic neurons by replacing sonic hedgehog with purmorphamine or smoothened agonist. The advantage of this approach is that all patient-specific iPSC lines tested in this study were successfully and consistently coaxed into the neural lineage