A tablet-based memory enhancement application for older users: design approach

This paper provides a case study of the design process undertaken in producing a mobile tablet memory assistant solution which was intended for older adults (\u3e65yo) living with early stage memory loss. We adopted an overall design framework consistent with “living laboratory” methodology, for which the associated design principles are: co-creation, multi-stakeholder participation, active user involvement, real-life setting, and multi-method approach. We describe here the detailed steps and provide examples of the application design decisions and outcomes, through successive stages of its evolution. Results of the various user engagements which informed our design choices and for validation of the artefact are presented

Health intelligence: Discovering the process model using process mining by constructing Start-to-End patient journeys

Archived with the publisher's permission. Copyright © 2014, Australian Computer Society, Inc. This paper appeared at the Australasian Workshop on Health Informatics and Knowledge Management (HIKM 2014), Auckland, New Zealand. Conferences in Research and Practice in Information Technology (CRPIT), Vol. 153. J. Warren and K. Gray, Eds. Reproduction for academic, not-for profit purposes permitted provided this text is included.Australian Public Hospitals are continually engaged in various process improvement activities to improve patient care and to improve hospital efficiency as the demand for service intensifies. As a consequence there are many initiatives within the health sector focusing on gaining insight into the underlying health processes which are assessed for compliance with specified Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Process Mining is classified as a Business Intelligence (BI) tool. The aim of process mining activities is to gain insight into the underlying process or processes. The fundamental element needed for process mining is a historical event log of a process. Generally, these event logs are easily sourced from Process Aware Information Systems (PAIS). Simulation is widely used by hospitals as a tool to study the complex hospital setting and for prediction. Generally, simulation models are constructed by ‘hand’. This paper presents a novel way of deriving event logs for health data in the absence of PAIS. The constructed event log is then used as an input for process mining activities taking advantage of existing process mining algorithms aiding the discovery of knowledge of the underlying processes which leads to Health Intelligence (HI). One such output of process mining activity, presented in this paper, is the discovery of process model for simulation using the derived event log as an input for process mining by constructing start-to-end patient journey. The study was undertaken using data from Flinders Medical Centre to gain insight into patient journeys from the point of admission to the Emergency Department (ED) until the patient is discharged from the hospital.

Gaining insight from patient journey data using process-oriented analysis approach

Hospitals are continually struggling to cater for the increasing demand for inpatient services. This is due to increased population, aging, and the rising incidence of chronic diseases associated with modern life. The high demand for hospital services leads to unpredictable bed availability, longer waiting period for acute admission, difficulties in keeping planned admission, stressed hospital staff, undesirable patient and family experience, as well as unclear long term impact on health care capacity. This study aims to derive some correlation between various factors contributing to ward occupancy rate and operation efficiency. The aim is also to discover the inpatient flow process model proposing to use process mining techniques combined with data analysis to depict the relationships among inpatients, wards and Length of Stay (LOS) in an effort to gain insight into factors that could be focused to relieve access block. Open source process mining software - ProM is used for this study. The study is done in collaboration with Flinders Medical Centre (FMC) using data from their Patient Journey Database as case study

Analysing homogenous patient journeys to assess quality of care for patients admitted outside of their ‘home-ward’

This study is the first to explore the quality of care based on the outlier or the inlier status of patients for a large heterogeneous General Medicine (GM) service at a busy public hospital. The study compared the quality of care between ward outliers and ward inliers based on a homogenous group of patients using Two-step clustering method. Contrary to common perception, ward outliers had overall shorter Length of Stay (LOS) than ward inliers. The study also was unable to support the perception of shorter LOS in the outlier group being associated with higher in-hospital mortality. The study confirmed that overall the outliers received inferior quality of care as discharge summaries for the outliers were delayed and more outliers were re-admitted within 7 days of discharge in comparison to the inliers

Perbandingan antara perancah tulang nanobiokomposit alginat/ kulit kerang dan alginat/kalsium karbonat terhadap pertumbuhan osteoblas

Kalsium karbonat (CaCO3) memainkan peranan yang penting dalam merangsang pertumbuhan osteoblas. Kajian ini dijalankan untuk membandingkan prestasi perancah nanobiokomposit alginat/kulit kerang (nCP) yang mengandungi CaCO3 dari sumber semula jadi dan perancah alginat/kalsium karbonat (CC) yang mengandungi CaCO3 sintetik terhadap pertumbuhan osteoblas melalui kajian in vitro dan pemerhatian awal kebioserasian in vivo. Perancah tulang berbentuk tiga dimensi dibangunkan dengan menggunakan campuran 40% Alginat dan 60% serbuk kulit kerang bersaiz nano (perancah nCP) atau serbuk CaCO3 sintetik (perancah CC). Kajian in vitro terhadap pembebasan kalsium dan aktiviti enzim alkalin fosfatase (ALP) pada kedua-dua perancah yang telah dibenihkan dengan osteoblas ditentukan pada hari ketiga, kelima dan ketujuh pengkulturan. Kajian in vivo dijalankan dengan implantasi subkutan perancah yang telah dibenihkan dengan osteoblas pada bahagian dorsum lapan ekor mencit selama 21 hari. Setelah 21 hari, perancah dikeluarkan dari mencit untuk pemerhatian histologi menggunakan pewarnaan H&E and von Kossa. Hasil kajian in vitro menunjukkan peningkatan secara signifikan (p < 0.05) perembesan kalsium dan aktiviti enzim ALP pada perancah nCP pada hari ketujuh berbanding perancah CC pada hari ketiga dan kelima. Pemerhatian histologi terhadap kedua-dua perancah menunjukkan infiltrasi dan proliferasi osteoblas serta pembentukan tisu tulang peringkat awal. Pembentukan saluran darah juga dapat dikenal pasti pada perancah nCP. Kedua-dua perancah menunjukkan potensi untuk menyokong dan membantu pertumbuhan osteoblas namun perancah nCP didapati menunjukkan potensi yang lebih baik secara keseluruhan. Kesimpulannya, CaCO3 dari sumber semula jadi iaitu kulit kerang dan bersaiz nano berpotensi untuk dijadikan sebagai biobahan di dalam aplikasi kejuruteraan tisu tulang

Pre-mineralisation effect of nanobiocomposite bone scaffold towards bone marrow-derived stem cells growth and differentiation

Apatite layers formed by simulated body fluid (SBF) on the surface of calcium-based scaffolds have been proven to enhance the osteoblastic activity of pre-osteoblasts and osteogenic activity of bone marrow-derived stem cell (BM-SCs). Previously developed Alginate/Cockle shell powder nanobiocomposite bone scaffold (Alg/nCP) has been shown to possess excellent osteoconductive properties. The effect of pre-mineralization of the scaffold surface towards the growth and differentiation of BM-SCs’ were evaluated using microscopic and biochemical methods in scaffolds divided into SBF pre-treated and control groups at two time points. MTT proliferation assay showed statistically significant decrease in cell proliferation in SBF group for both culture periods. SEM observation revealed growth of BM-SCs and scaffold surface mineralisation and calcium deposition in both groups with higher intensity observable in the control group. Supporting biochemical studies showed a significant decrease in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level indicating a lesser osteogenic differentiation in the SBF group as compared to control. Pre-mineralisation of scaffolds in SBF produced a contradicting result in which it did not provide a better environment for growth and proliferation of BM-SCs. However, the Alg/nCP scaffold did show potentials in supporting the osteogenic differentiation of the stem cells

Effect of zerumbone on scopolamine-induced memory impairment and anxiety-like behaviours in rats

Introduction: We investigated the effects of zerumbone (1 and 10 mg/kg) against hyperactivity, anxiety and memory impairment in scopolamine-induced dementia in Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods: Open field tests, elevated plus maze and Morris water maze were performed to assess general locomotor activity, anxiety-like behaviours and learning and memory processes respectively in rats pre treated with scopolamine. Results: Scopolamine-treated rats showed high total activity, stereotype, and total distance travelled in the open field arena, reduced number of entries to open arms, decreased the percentage of time spent in open arms and higher escape latency time in the Morris water maze test. Interestingly, single administration of zerumbone (1 and 10 mg/kg) reversed the hyperactivity, anxiety-like behaviours, and learning impairment effects of scopolamine in the three experimental model studied respectively. Discussion: Our findings demonstrated that the scopolamine-induced impairment of learning and memory was reversed by the administration of zerumbone. As a conclusion, our findings presented the positive effects of zerumbone on dementia-like behaviours in the animal model used and could possibly contribute for future research to manage hyperactivity, anxiety, and learning disabilities

Effects of Melicope ptelifolia aqueous extract on sperm parameters and testosterone level in Sprague-Dawley rats

The increasing number of prevalence infertility cases is becoming a major public health problem in developing countries due to changes in diet and lifestyle. Melicope ptelefolia is known for its health benefit as a sex enhancing effect among the Malays folk however there is no clinical data to prove it until these days. The main aim of the present study is to identify the effects of Melicope ptelifolia Aqueous extract (MPAE) on Sperm Parameters and Testosterone Level . A total of 30 male Sprague Dawley rats were divided equally into five different groups. MPAE was given by orally gavage for 28 days at a dose of 100mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg body weight to the animals of group II (n=6), III (n=6) and IV (n=6), respectively. The animals of group I (control, n=6) had distilled water and group V had sildenafil citrate. Results were analyzed using one way ANOVA test and the data were significant at p<0.05. Oral administration of MPAE extract showed an increased sperm count and sperm viability. Oral administration of the MPAE resulted a significant increased (p<0.05) for Group II, III and IV in sperm count and sperm morphology. A significant increased increased was recorded for Group I, II, III and IV in sperm viability. However, sperm vitality remained normal in all the groups. From our present experimental findings we are tempted to suggest that the MPAE could be a potential male fertility agent

Preliminary study on antinociceptove effect of aqueous extract of Boesenbergia pandurata in formalin-induced nociception test in mice

Pain is an unpleasant sensation associated with body state dysfunction that negatively affects the productivity of patients. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used as over-the-counter pain reliever medication due to its cost effectiveness. However, prolonged usage of NSAIDs usually accompanied with adverse side effects such as ulcer, nausea and even kidney failure. Hence, researchers are now focused on traditional herbal research to search for potential analgesic substances that are with minimal or no adverse effects. Boesenbergia pandurata，it is also known as temu kunci in Malaysia is a perennial herb that belongs to Zingiberaceae family. Boesenbergia pandurata is widely distributed in Southeast Asia and its rhizomes are commonly used as food ingredients or as traditional medicine to treat diseases conditions such as inflammation, cancer, and fungal infection. The aim of this study is to evaluate the inhibitory effect of aqueous extract of Boesenbergia pandurata (AEBP) on formalin-induced nociception test in mice. Mice were pre-treated with AEBP via intraperitoneal injection 30 min before challenged with intraplantar injection of formalin. It was demonstrated that intraperitoneal administration of AEBP at doses (0.3, 1, 3 and 10 mg/kg) produced significant antinociceptive response in both neurogenic and inflammatory phases of pain response induced by formalin. The findings indicated preliminary study on antinociceptive effect of AEBP, but further study should be conducted to explore the exact mechanism of pain inhibition by AEBP