aQRdate: assessing how ubiquitous computing can help people with acquired brain injury in their rehabilitation process

This is an electronic version of the paper presented at the International Symposium on Ubiquitous Computing and Ambient Intelligence, held in Riviera Maya on 2011In this paper we present our ideas about how Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp) could help people with acquired brain injury. Since these people have problems to engage in daily life activities (e.g. how to do the laundry or prepare breakfast), we propose a system based on mobile devices and QR codes to help them to remember these tasks. The environment will be tagged with QR Codes that will provide mobile devices with personal and interactive manuals for routine tasks. This work has been tested with one user with acquired brain injury as a proof-of-concept.This work was partially funded by ASIES (Adapting Social \& Intelligent Environments to Support people with special needs), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación - TIN2010-17344, and e-Madrid (Investigación y desarrollo de tecnologías para el e-learning en la Comunidad de Madrid) S2009/TIC-1650

Olanzapine compared to quetiapine in adolescents with a first psychotic episode

Objective: To compare the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of olanzapine and quetiapine in adolescents with first episode psychosis. Method: Fifty adolescents (age 16 ± 1.25) with a first episode of psychosis were randomized to quetiapine or olanzapine in a 6-month open label study. Efficacy and side effect scales, as well as vital signs and laboratory data were recorded at baseline, 7, 15, 30, 90, and 180 days (end of study). Results: Out of the total sample included in the study, 32 patients completed the trial (quetiapine n = 16, olanzapine n = 16). Patients in both treatment groups had a significant reduction in all clinical scales with the exception of the negative scale of the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) for olanzapine and the general psychopathology scale of the PANSS for quetiapine. The only difference between treatment arms on the clinical scales was observed on the patients' strength and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) scale, with greater improvement for olanzapine. Patients on olanzapine gained 15.5 kg and patients on quetiapine gained 5.5 kg. Conclusion: Olanzapine and quetiapine reduced psychotic symptoms in this adolescent sample. Patients on olanzapine gained significantly more weight. Side effects with both drugs seemed to be more prevalent than those reported in adult studies

Cómo estimar la edad de las personas utilizando imágenes de su rostro

pp. 3-22El proyecto aquí presentado propone estudiar y evaluar diferentes métodos que permitan estimar la edad de personas analizando imágenes de sus rostros. Se estudiará asimismo cómo podría ser el proceso de implantación en robots que se muevan en entornos públicos pero cerrados como pueden ser museos, oficinas, bancos, etc. con el fin de identificar a personas mayores en dichos entornos. El reconocimiento de la edad a partir del rostro podría utilizarse para prestar atención especial a personas mayores que atiendan a eventos públicos o se encuentren en estaciones de tren, aeropuertos o similar. La asistencia podría prestarse detectando el número de personas que superan cierta edad presentes en estos entornos utilizando para ello las cámaras de los sistemas de vigilancia ubicadas en estos entornos públicos. Dicho conocimiento podría servir para poner en alerta a sistemas de asistencia, para hacer seguimiento de dichas personas y actuar inmediatamente en caso de necesidad o para informar a sistemas autónomos robotizados que podrían acudir para guiar o ayudar en el transporte de equipajes. El sistema podría extenderse en estudios futuros estableciendo una clasificación del posible nivel de asistencia en función del equipaje que acarren, su velocidad de desplazamiento, su postura corporal, etc. La estimación de la edad presenta gran interés y puede ser usada en una gran variedad de aplicaciones, destacando la novedad del enfoque propuesto. Consideramos que la experiencia del equipo investigador en el campo de visión artificial se adecua a la propuesta de proyecto como avalan nuestros proyectos y artículos previos. Además, a raíz del trabajo se producirán varios entregables y se espera publicar al menos un artículo para congresos o revistas relacionadas con el tema.N

Association between convalescent plasma treatment and mortality in COVID-19: a collaborative systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Funder: laura and john arnold foundationBACKGROUND: Convalescent plasma has been widely used to treat COVID-19 and is under investigation in numerous randomized clinical trials, but results are publicly available only for a small number of trials. The objective of this study was to assess the benefits of convalescent plasma treatment compared to placebo or no treatment and all-cause mortality in patients with COVID-19, using data from all available randomized clinical trials, including unpublished and ongoing trials (Open Science Framework, https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/GEHFX ). METHODS: In this collaborative systematic review and meta-analysis, clinical trial registries (ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform), the Cochrane COVID-19 register, the LOVE database, and PubMed were searched until April 8, 2021. Investigators of trials registered by March 1, 2021, without published results were contacted via email. Eligible were ongoing, discontinued and completed randomized clinical trials that compared convalescent plasma with placebo or no treatment in COVID-19 patients, regardless of setting or treatment schedule. Aggregated mortality data were extracted from publications or provided by investigators of unpublished trials and combined using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman random effects model. We investigated the contribution of unpublished trials to the overall evidence. RESULTS: A total of 16,477 patients were included in 33 trials (20 unpublished with 3190 patients, 13 published with 13,287 patients). 32 trials enrolled only hospitalized patients (including 3 with only intensive care unit patients). Risk of bias was low for 29/33 trials. Of 8495 patients who received convalescent plasma, 1997 died (23%), and of 7982 control patients, 1952 died (24%). The combined risk ratio for all-cause mortality was 0.97 (95% confidence interval: 0.92; 1.02) with between-study heterogeneity not beyond chance (I2 = 0%). The RECOVERY trial had 69.8% and the unpublished evidence 25.3% of the weight in the meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Convalescent plasma treatment of patients with COVID-19 did not reduce all-cause mortality. These results provide strong evidence that convalescent plasma treatment for patients with COVID-19 should not be used outside of randomized trials. Evidence synthesis from collaborations among trial investigators can inform both evidence generation and evidence application in patient care

Foundations of youth work - Albemarle and after An analysis of the development of youth service policy at national level in England, 1958 to 1971

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DX017291 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo