A chatbot-based coaching intervention for adolescents to promote life skills: pilot study

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a challenging period, where youth face rapid changes as well as increasing socioemotional demands and threats, such as bullying and cyberbullying. Adolescent mental health and well-being can be best supported by providing effective coaching on life skills, such as coping strategies and protective factors. Interventions that take advantage of online coaching by means of chatbots, deployed on Web or mobile technology, may be a novel and more appealing way to support positive mental health for adolescents.OBJECTIVE: In this pilot study, we co-designed and conducted a formative evaluation of an online, life skills coaching, chatbot intervention, inspired by the positive technology approach, to promote mental well-being in adolescence.METHODS: We co-designed the first life skills coaching session of the CRI (for girls) and CRIS (for boys) chatbot with 20 secondary school students in a participatory design workshop. We then conducted a formative evaluation of the entire intervention-eight sessions-with a convenience sample of 21 adolescents of both genders (mean age 14.52 years). Participants engaged with the chatbot sessions over 4 weeks and filled in an anonymous user experience questionnaire at the end of each session; responses were based on a 5-point Likert scale.RESULTS: A majority of the adolescents found the intervention useful (16/21, 76%), easy to use (19/21, 90%), and innovative (17/21, 81%). Most of the participants (15/21, 71%) liked, in particular, the video cartoons provided by the chatbot in the coaching sessions. They also thought that a session should last only 5-10 minutes (14/21, 66%) and said they would recommend the intervention to a friend (20/21, 95%).CONCLUSIONS: We have presented a novel and scalable self-help intervention to deliver life skills coaching to adolescents online that is appealing to this population. This intervention can support the promotion of coping skills and mental well-being among youth

Canine Babesioses in noninvestigated areas of Serbia

During the years 2012-2014, a total of 158 outdoor dogs from Pančevo and Đurđevo (northern Serbia) and Niš and Prokuplje (southern Serbia) were submitted to molecular analyses (PCR and sequencing) for canine babesioses. An overall prevalence of 21.5% was found, due to the species Babesia sp. 'spanish dog' (10.1%), B. gibsoni (5.7%), B. canis vogeli (1.9%), B. caballi (1.9%), and B. microti (1.9%). In addition, sequence analysis showed the presence of Hepatozoon canis in a dog from Niš. No significant difference between infected and noninfected dogs was found by age, sex, and place of residence, whereas there was difference regarding the presence of ticks (p<0.005) and application of preventive measures such as applying of antitick drugs/devices. Moreover, a significant difference was established by area: Dogs from Prokuplje showed infection rates (59.1%) higher than dogs from Pančevo (11.9%), Niš (4.5), and Đurđevo (where infected dogs were not found), and a different geographical distribution of the species was found. The presence of so many Babesia species and the first identification of H. canis will allow investigations on the pathogenic role played by each one and suggests entomological studies on the tick species that are more suitable vectors for each of them. Finally, the presence of so many infected dogs offers the opportunity of evaluating the hypothesis of a possible zoonotic role of babesial species affecting dogs

DNA-based Diagnosis of Uncharacterized Inherited Macrothrombocytopenias Using Next-generation Sequencing Technology with a Candidate Gene Array

Inherited macrothrombocytopenias comprise a heterogeneous group of inherited platelet disorders that are characterized by large platelets, thrombocytopenia and bleeding tendencies in affected individuals. Diagnostic platforms have traditionally involved a battery of complex phenotypic tests that often fail to reach a diagnosis. Next-generation sequencing lacks the pre-analytical and analytical shortcoming of these tests and provides an attractive alternate diagnostic approach. Our group has developed a candidate gene array targeting genes known to affect platelet function and tested it in a large cohort of Australasian patients with presumed platelet function disorders, particularly macrothrombocytopenia. This array identified causative variants in a significant portion of patients with uncharacterized platelet disorders, including transcription factor mutations that cannot easily be diagnosed with standard platelet phenotyping procedures. We propose that targeted genotypic screening can identify the genetic basis of platelet function defects and has the potential to be developed into a powerful clinical platform to help clinicians diagnose these rare disorders

Murine thymic NK cells are distinct from ILC1s and have unique transcription factor requirements

open7sìGroup 1 innate lymphoid cells include natural killer (NK) cells and ILC1s, which mediate the response to intracellular pathogens. Thymic NK (tNK) cells were described with hybrid features of immature NK cells and ILC1 but whether these cells are related to NK cells or ILC1 has not been fully investigated. We report that murine tNK cells expressed the NK-cell associated transcription factor EOMES and developed independent of the essential ILC1 factor TBET, confirming their placement within the NK lineage. Moreover, tNK cells resemble NK cells rather than ILC1 in their requirements for the E protein transcription factor inhibitor ID2. We provide further insight into the mechanisms governing tNK-cell development by showing that the transcription factor ETS1 prevented tNK cell acquisition of the conventional NK-cell maturation markers CD11b and KLRG1. Our data reveal few ILC1 in the thymus and clarify the identity and developmental requirements of tNK cells. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.openGabrielli, Sara; Sun, Mengxi; Bell, April; Zook, Erin C; de Pooter, Renee F; Zamai, Loris; Kee, Barbara LGabrielli, Sara; Sun, Mengxi; Bell, April; Zook, Erin C; de Pooter, Renee F; Zamai, Loris; Kee, Barbara L

Characteristics of the health districts in Italy and their implication in primary health care policies: an analysis of socio‐demographic trends

The Health District (HD) is a critical component of Italy’s National Health Service, responsible for ensuring Primary Health Care (PHC) services in response to community health needs. The Italian government established a national strategic reform program, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), with a series of health interventions to reorganize the PHC setting (Ministerial Decree 77/2022). Our study aimed to provide a description of socio-demographic data and to assess the correlation between HDs, in order to suggest health intervention priorities in PHC reforms. We conducted a retrospective analysis using a cross-sectional record linkage of data from multiple sources to compare organizational and socio-demographic variables. A dataset was created with each of the 21 Italian Regions’ HDs data of population, land area, mean age, ageing index, old-age dependency ratio, birth rate and death rate. We then linked the HD data with the Inland Areas Project in order to categorize them from a socio-economic point of view. Our study identified comparable groups of HDs, considering demographical, socio-economic and geographical aspects. The study provides a baseline understanding of the Italian situation prior to the implementation of DM77. It also highlights that inhabitants number cannot be the only variable to take into account for the definition of Italian HDs organisation and PHC reform, providing intercorrelated variables that take into account geographic location, demographic data, and socio-economic aspects

Role of melatonin in HT22 cells challenged with serum deprivation

In vitro serum deprivation (SD) is one model for investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying apoptosis as well as autophagy, which generally function as defense strategies upon cell injury by eliminating damaged organelles [1]. Furthermore, SD injury in vitro is widely used to mimic the ischemic environment [2]. In serum deprived conditions, cells show different parameters of apoptosis and autophagy. Melatonin (MLT), a lipophilic indole secreted by pineal and non-pineal cells, is a well-known potent free radical scavenger acting as neuroprotective molecule that prevents apoptotic cell death in several models of neurodegenerative diseases. In the present study we investigated the neuroprotective effects of MLT during SD condition on mouse hippocampal HT22 cells, considering that intracellular ROS are usually linked to autophagy and apoptosis. To explore potential effects of combining SD with melatonin we studied clonogenic survival of HT22 cells. Clonogenic assay demonstrated a significative (p< 0.01) reduction of HT22 total cell numbers challenged for 24h with SD, whereas the pre-treatment with 200nM of MLT for 24hr noticeably reduced this effect of about 30%. In HT22 starved cells the percentage of MitoTracker Red (MTR) positive cells doubled (P< 0.05) if compared to the control condition, suggesting that SD induced a remodelling of mitochondrial network. It is noteworthy that MLT pre-treatment produced a MTR positivity similar to that of controls. We next investigated whether melatonin was able to influence the autophagic pathway. Autophagy was detected by measuring the aggregation of LC3B protein coupled to green fluorescence protein (GFP). Confocal images show that SD induced an increase in the GFP-LC3 puncta, whereas the melatonin treatment reduces these aggregations. Taken together, our results suggest that MLT treatment may play protective roles against cellular modifications induced by SD treatment in HT22 cells

Co-creation and regional adaptation of a resilience-based universal whole-school program in five European regions

The co-creation of educational services that promote youth resilience and mental health is still scarce. UPRIGHT (Universal Preventive Resilience Intervention Globally implemented in schools to improve and promote mental Health for Teenagers) is a research and intervention program in the Basque Country (Spain), Trentino (Italy), Low Silesia (Poland), Denmark and Reykjavik (Iceland). UPRIGHT implemented a co-creation research process whose results, outcomes and policy implications are presented here. The co-creation had a mixed-methods participatory research design with nine specific objectives linked to paired strategies of inquiry for adolescents, families, teachers and school staff. The overarching objective was to generate a valid and feasible regional adaptation strategy for UPRIGHT intervention model. Participants answered surveys (n= 794) or attended 16 group sessions (n= 217). The results integrate quantitative and qualitative information to propose a regional adaptation strategy that prioritizes resilience skills, adolescents' concerns, and preferred methods for implementation across countries and in each school community. In conclusion, a whole-school resilience program must innovate, include and connect different actors, services and communities, and must incorporate new technologies and activities outside the classroom. A participatory co-creation process is an indispensable step to co-design locally relevant resilience interventions with the involvement of the whole-school community

CONHECENDO A ETNOMEDICINA LOCAL PARA CRISES ÁLGICAS: UM RELATO DE EXPERIÊNCIA NA REGIÃO DO CARIRI, CEARÁ

Resumo: É de saber geral, a importância da dor nos âmbitos individual, social, econômico e cultural, seu manejo na luz da terapêutica e sua influência na qualidade de vida. Este relato de vivência almeja discorrer o percurso de contribuições de um projeto de extensão etnodirigido desenvolvido em uma comunidade rural cearense no tocante ao uso de plantas medicinais para o manejo de crises álgicas. Voluntários da comunidade Santo Antônio, Barbalha, Ceará, participaram do projeto apresentando-se como importantes protagonistas nessa trama. O estudo foi divido e discorrido em três eixos categóricos, a saber, o perfil sócio-econômico dos informantes, a caracterização do uso de plantas medicinais no tratamento de dores, mediante a técnica da “percepção dos vocábulos” e a abordagem crítico-reflexiva resultante da ação extensionista. Os esforços dessa experiência contribuem para o registro e a documentação da riqueza da medicina caseira a base de plantas. Espera-se também que a leitura desse relato subsidie a busca pela harmonia entre etnosaberes e conhecimentos técnico-científicos a fim de suscitar progressos transformadores da sociedade. Palavras chave: Algias; Medicina Caseira; Plantas Medicinais; Ação Extensionista.   Abstract: It is general knowledge, the importance of pain in the individual, social, economic and cultural spheres, its management in the light of therapy and its influence on quality of life. This experience report aims to describe the course of contribution of an ethnodirected extension project developed in a rural community in Ceará in relation to the use of medicinal plants for the management of pain crises. Volunteers from the Santo Antônio community, Barbalha, Ceará, participated in the project presenting themselves as important protagonists in this scenario. The study was divided into three categorical axes, the social-economic profile of the informants, the characterization of the use of medicinal plants in the treatment of pain, using the “perception of words” technique and the critical-reflexive approach resulting from the extension action. The efforts of this experience contribute to the recording and documentation of the wealth of herbal medicine. It is also expected that the reading of thisreport will support the search for harmony between ethno-knowledge and technical-scientific knowledge in order to bring transformative progress in society.Keywords: Pain; Folk Medicine; Medicinal Plants; Extensionist Action.  Resumen: Es de conocimiento común, la importancia del dolor en las esferas individuales, sociales, económicas y culturales, su manejo a la luz de la terapia y su influencia em la calidad de vida. Este informe de experiencia tiene como objetivo discutir el curso de las contribuciones de un proyecto de extensión etnodirigido desarrollado en una comunidad rural em Ceará con respecto al uso de plantas medicinales para el manejo de crisis de dolor. Voluntarios de la comunidad de Santo Antônio, Barbalha, Ceará, participaron en el proyecto presentándose como protagonistas importantes en esta trama. El estudio se dividió en tres ejes categóricos, el perfil socioeconómico de los informantes, la caracterización del uso de plantas medicinales en el tratamiento del dolor, utilizando la técnica de “percepción de palabras” y el enfoque crítico-reflexivo resultante de la acción de extensión. Los esfuerzos de esta experiencia contribuyen al registro y la documentación de la riqueza de la medicina casera a base de hierbas. También se espera que la lectura de este informe respalde la búsqueda de la armonía entre los etno-conocimientos y el conocimiento técnico-científico para lograr un progreso transformador en la sociedad.Palabras clave: Dolores; Medicina Casera; Plantas Medicinales; Acción de Extensión