Playful tactics: my practice as hortus ludi

Playful Tactics introduces a dialogue between Claude Lévi-Strauss’s definition of bricolage (1962) and my own practice. A large part of this catalogue proposes to make visible both this dialogue and the new opportunities arising from it. My research aligns with this theoretical framework, but stands alone by interrogating the metaphor of the bricoleur in the practice of landscape architecture. Bricolages and collages are playful operative modes, tactics I have observed and tested in various contexts. This approach allowed me to understand my practice in a new way, seeing it as a Hortus Ludi (garden-as-laboratory and playful place), while at the same time adding a new meaning to the name of the agency The material in this catalogue repositions the garden typology at the heart of my practice. The garden is viewed as a favourable environment to explore playful and creative modes of engagement within my practice. As a conclusion, the making of a physical garden explored collectively the principle of serendipity and the notion of play, in a new context, have opened up my reflection to new perspectives. Play constitutes a form of resistance to external forces, and refers to a principle of protection that is implicitly or tacitly established either within the agency, or by/for myself. Play refers to a complex system, to tactics that are capable of generating self-regulating dynamics within the creative process

The emerging role of exosome and microvesicle- (EMV-) based cancer therapeutics and immunotherapy

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of the following article: Colin Moore, Uchini Kosgodage, Sigrun Lange, and Jameel M. Inal, ‘The emerging role of exosome and microvesicle- (EMV-) based cancer therapeutics and immunotherapy’, International Journal of Cancer, Vol. 141 (3): 428-436, August 2017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.30672. © 2017 UICC. This manuscript version may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.There is an urgent need to develop new combination therapies beyond existing surgery, radio- and chemo-therapy, perhaps initially combining chemotherapy with the targeting specificities of immunotherapy. For this, strategies to limit inflammation and immunosuppression and evasion in the tumour microenvironment are also needed. To devise effective new immunotherapies we must first understand tumour immunology, including the roles of T cells, macrophages, myeloid suppressor cells and of exosomes and microvesicles (EMVs) in promoting angiogenesis, tumour growth, drug resistance and metastasis. One promising cancer immunotherapy discussed uses cationic liposomes carrying tumour RNA (RNA-lipoplexes) to provoke a strong anti-viral-like (cytotoxic CD8+ ) anti-tumour immune response. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived EMVs, with their capacity to migrate towards inflammatory areas including solid tumours, have also been used. As tumour EMVs clearly exacerbate the tumour microenvironment, another therapy option could involve EMV removal. Affinity-based methods to deplete EMVs, including an immunodepletion, antibody-based affinity substrate, are therefore considered. Finally EMV and exosome-mimetic nanovesicles (NVs) delivery of siRNA or chemotherapeutic drugs that target tumours using peptide ligands for cognate receptors on the tumour cells are discussed. We also touch upon the reversal of drug efflux in EMVs from cancer cells which can sensitize cells to chemotherapy. The use of immunotherapy in combination with the advent of EMVs provides potent therapies to various cancers.Peer reviewe

Users’ needs for a digital smoking cessation application and how to address them: a mixed-methods study

Health and self-regulatio

Protocol of a mixed-methods evaluation of Perfect Fit:A personalized mHealth intervention with a virtual coach to promote smoking cessation and physical activity in adults

Objective: Adopting healthy behavior is vital for preventing chronic diseases. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions utilizing virtual coaches (i.e., artificial intelligence conversational agents) can offer scalable and cost-effective solutions. Additionally, targeting multiple unhealthy behaviors, like low physical activity and smoking, simultaneously seems beneficial. We developed Perfect Fit, an mHealth intervention with a virtual coach providing personalized feedback to simultaneously promote smoking cessation and physical activity. Through innovative methods (e.g., sensor technology) and iterative development involving end-users, we strive to overcome challenges encountered by mHealth interventions, such as shortage of evidence-based interventions and insufficient personalization. This paper outlines the content of Perfect Fit and the protocol for evaluating its feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness, the role of participant characteristics, and the study's feasibility. Methods: A single-arm, mixed-method, real-world evaluation study will be conducted in the Netherlands. We aim to recruit 100 adult daily smokers intending to quit within 6 weeks. The personalized intervention will last approximately 16 weeks. Primary outcomes include Perfect Fit's feasibility and acceptability. Secondary outcomes are preliminary effectiveness and study feasibility, and we will measure participant characteristics. Quantitative data will be collected through questionnaires administered at baseline, post-intervention and 2, 6, and 12 months post-intervention. Qualitative data will be gathered via semi-structured interviews post-intervention. Data analysis will involve descriptive analyses, generalized linear mixed models (quantitative) and the Framework Approach (qualitative), integrating quantitative and qualitative data during interpretation. Conclusions: This study will provide novel insight into the potential of interventions like Perfect Fit, as a multiple health behavior change strategy. Findings will inform further intervention development and help identify methods to foster feasibility and acceptability. Successful mHealth interventions with virtual coaches will prevent chronic diseases and promote public health.</p

Mapping the evidence on identity processes and identity-related interventions in the smoking and physical activity domains: a scoping review protocol

Introduction Smoking and insufficient physical activity (PA), independently but especially in conjunction, often lead to disease and (premature) death. For this reason, there is need for effective smoking cessation and PAincreasing interventions. Identity-related interventions which aim to influence how people view themselves offer promising prospects, but an overview of the existing evidence is needed first. This is the protocol for a scoping review aiming to aggregate the evidence on identity processes and identity-related interventions in the smoking and physical activity domains. Methods The scoping review will be guided by an adaption by Levac et al of the 2005 Arksey and O’Malley methodological framework, the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: Extension for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) and the 2017 Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. It will include scientific publications discussing identity (processes) and/ or identity-related interventions in the context of smoking (cessation) and/or physical (in)activity, in individuals aged 12 and over. A systematic search will be carried out in multiple databases (eg, PubMed, Web of Science). Records will be independently screened against prepiloted inclusion/exclusion criteria by two reviewers, using the Active Learning for Systematic Reviews machine learning artificial intelligence and Rayyan QCRI, a screening assistant. A prepiloted charting table will be used to extract data from included full-text articles. Findings will be reported according to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines and include study quality assessment. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required for scoping reviews. Findings will aid the development of future identity-related interventions targeting smoking and physical inactivity.NWO628.011.211IHealth and self-regulatio

Targeting Key Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in At-Risk Individuals: Developing a Digital, Personalized, and Real-Time Intervention to Facilitate Smoking Cessation and Physical Activity

Health care is under pressure due to an aging population with an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Smoking and physical inactivity are 2 key preventable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Yet, as with most health behaviors, they are difficult to change. In the interdisciplinary Perfect Fit project, scientists from different fields join forces to develop an evidence-based virtual coach (VC) that supports smokers in quitting smoking and increasing their physical activity. In this Viewpoint paper, intervention content, design, and implementation, as well as lessons learned, are presented to support other research groups working on similar projects. A total of 6 different approaches were used and combined to support the development of the Perfect Fit VC. The approaches used are (1) literature reviews, (2) empirical studies, (3) collaboration with end users, (4) content and technical development sprints, (5) interdisciplinary collaboration, and (6) iterative proof-of-concept implementation. The Perfect Fit intervention integrates evidence-based behavior change techniques with new techniques focused on identity change, big data science, sensor technology, and personalized real-time coaching. Intervention content of the virtual coaching matches the individual needs of the end users. Lessons learned include ways to optimally implement and tailor interactions with the VC (eg, clearly explain why the user is asked for input and tailor the timing and frequency of the intervention components). Concerning the development process, lessons learned include strategies for effective interdisciplinary collaboration and technical development (eg, finding a good balance between end users’ wishes and legal possibilities). The Perfect Fit development process was collaborative, iterative, and challenging at times. Our experiences and lessons learned can inspire and benefit others. Advanced, evidence-based digital interventions, such as Perfect Fit, can contribute to a healthy society while alleviating health care burden

Feasibility of generating structured motivational messages for tailored physical activity coaching

Tailored motivational messages are helpful to motivate people in eHealth applications for increasing physical activity, but it is not sufficiently clear how such messages can be effectively generated in advance. We, therefore, put forward a theory-driven approach to generating tailored motivational messages for eHealth applications for behavior change, and we examine its feasibility by assessing how motivating the resulting messages are perceived. For this, we designed motivational messages with a specific structure that was based on an adaptation of an existing ontology for tailoring motivational messages in the context of physical activity. To obtain tailored messages, experts in health psychology and coaching successfully wrote messages with this structure for personas in scenarios that differed with regard to the persona's mood, self-efficacy, and progress. Based on an experiment in which 60 participants each rated the perceived motivational impact of six generic and six tailored messages based on scenarios, we found credible support for our hypothesis that messages tailored to mood, self-efficacy, and progress are perceived as more motivating. A thematic analysis of people's free-text responses about what they found motivating and demotivating about motivational messages further supports the use of tailored messages, as well as messages that are encouraging and empathetic, give feedback about people's progress, and mention the benefits of physical activity. To aid future work on motivational messages, we make our motivational messages and corresponding scenarios publicly available.Prevention, Population and Disease management (PrePoD)Public Health and primary car

Conceptualisation, operationalisation and role of identity in physical activity and smoking in individuals aged 45 and over: a systematic scoping review

NWO628.011.211Health and self-regulationHealth and Well-bein

A mixed-methods evaluation of a virtual coach for smoking cessation and physical activity in adults

Mobile health (mHealth) interventions with virtual coaches (i.e. AI conversational agents) offer scalable and cost-effective solutions for health behavior change. We developed Perfect Fit, an mHealth intervention with a virtual coach providing personalized feedback to promote smoking cessation and physical activity simultaneously. Through innovative techniques (e.g. sensor technology) and iterative development involving end-users, we aim to overcome challenges faced by mHealth interventions, like insufficient personalization. This study examines Perfect Fit’s feasibility and acceptability.A single-arm, mixed-method, real-world evaluation study was conducted with 100 adult smokers in the Netherlands. The intervention lasted approximately 16 weeks. Data were collected at baseline and post-intervention. Quantitative data included usage data and self-report questionnaires on feasibility, acceptability and participant characteristics (e.g. eHealth literacy). Qualitative data included semi-structured post-intervention interviews with a subsample of 12 participants. Descriptive analyses (quantitative) and the Framework Approach (qualitative) were used for data analysis, and quantitative and qualitative data were integrated during interpretation.Participants adapted the use of Perfect Fit to their preferences. Many participants were satisfied with the content but missed variations in conversations with the virtual coach. The coach offered anonymity, positively experienced by some (e.g. non-judgemental), but negatively by others (e.g. lower accountability). Many participants liked the combination of smoking cessation and physical activity enhancement.Findings show the potential of interventions like Perfect Fit as a multiple health behavior change strategy in promoting public health and preventing chronic disease. Findings can inform intervention development and identify methods to foster feasibility and acceptability.• mHealth interventions with virtual coaches, like Perfect Fit, could promote public health.• Targeting multiple behaviors, like low physical activity and smoking, simultaneously seems beneficial

Extracellular Vesicles: Evolving Factors in Stem Cell Biology

Stem cells are proposed to continuously secrete trophic factors that potentially serve as mediators of autocrine and paracrine activities, associated with reprogramming of the tumor microenvironment, tissue regeneration, and repair. Hitherto, significant efforts have been made to understand the level of underlying paracrine activities influenced by stem cell secreted trophic factors, as little is known about these interactions. Recent findings, however, elucidate this role by reporting the effects of stem cell derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) that mimic the phenotypes of the cells from which they originate. Exchange of genetic information utilizing persistent bidirectional communication mediated by stem cell-EVs could regulate stemness, self-renewal, and differentiation in stem cells and their subpopulations. This review therefore discusses stem cell-EVs as evolving communication factors in stem cell biology, focusing on how they regulate cell fates by inducing persistent and prolonged genetic reprogramming of resident cells in a paracrine fashion. In addition, we address the role of stem cell-secreted vesicles in shaping the tumor microenvironment and immunomodulation and in their ability to stimulate endogenous repair processes during tissue damage. Collectively, these functions ensure an enormous potential for future therapies