Getting Grandma Online: Are Tablets the Answer for Increasing Digital Inclusion for Older Adults in the US?

Using information and communication technologies (ICTs) can improve older adults\u27 quality of life. ICT use is associated with decreased feelings of loneliness and depression, along with increased feelings of independence and personal growth. However, limited access and low technological self-efficacy are key reasons why some groups, especially older adults, are excluded from being fully engaged in the digital world. In this study, we focus on older adults\u27 technological self-efficacy, which is related to their actual use of technology and the second level digital divide. Specifically, we examine: (a) how older adults decide to use a new technology, tablet computers; (b) how they conquer the barrier of technological self-efficacy through using tablets; and (c) the impacts of using this new technology in their lives. Twenty-one in-depth interviews were conducted with older adults residing in independent living communities in a medium-sized city in the Deep South region of the United States. Observational and enactive learning played important roles for older adults in using tablets. Seeing others use tablets, getting recommendations from family members, or having tablets given to them were the primary reasons they started to use tablet computers. The ease of use feature of tablets helped solve the problem of lacking technological self-efficacy. Using tablets helped increase a sense of connectedness. Tablet computers may be one way to increase digital inclusion among older adults

Upconversion nanoparticles for sensing pH.

Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) can provide a vehicle for chemical imaging by coupling chemically sensitive dyes and quenchers. The mechanism for coupling of two anthraquinone dyes, Calcium Red and Alizarin Red S, was investigated as a function of pH. The green emission band of the UCNPs was quenched by a pH-dependent inner filter effect (IFE) while the red emission band remained unchanged and acted as the reference signal for ratiometric pH measurements. Contrary to previous expectation, there was little evidence for a resonance energy transfer (RET) mechanism even when the anthraquinones were attached onto the UCNPs through electrostatic attraction. Since the UCNPs are point emitters, only emitters close to the surface of the UCNP are within the expected Förster distance and UC-RET is <10%. The theoretical and experimental analysis of the interaction between UCNPs and pH-sensitive quenchers will allow the design of UCNP pH sensors for determination of pH via IFE.This work was supported by the EPSRC Cambridge NanoDTC, EP/L015978/

Tracking Rural Health Facility Financial Data in Resource-Limited Settings: A Case Study from Rwanda

Chunling Lu and colleagues describe a project for tracking health center financial data in two rural districts of Rwanda, which could be adapted for other low- or middle-income countries. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summar

Measuring sustainable broadband adoption: An innovative approach to understanding broadband adoption and use

Efforts to promote sustainable broadband Internet adoption urge new attention to the classic diffusion of innovations paradigm. For this study, innovation attributes were reconceptualized following Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). In a sample of inner-city residents, the model accounted for 36% of the variance in intentions to adopt broadband technology and services, primarily from the SCT variables of expected outcomes and self-efficacy. Prior habitual use of the Internet was also a predictor. Price sensitivity was unrelated to adoption. Among demographic variables, only age had a significant (negative) relationship to broadband adoption after accounting for the SCT variables. Recommendations for the design and monitoring of sustainable broadband adoption interventions are made based on these findings

Corneal Transduction by Intra-Stromal Injection of AAV Vectors In Vivo in the Mouse and Ex Vivo in Human Explants

The cornea is a transparent, avascular tissue that acts as the major refractive surface of the eye. Corneal transparency, assured by the inner stroma, is vital for this role. Disruption in stromal transparency can occur in some inherited or acquired diseases. As a consequence, light entering the eye is blocked or distorted, leading to decreased visual acuity. Possible treatment for restoring transparency could be via viral-based gene therapy. The stroma is particularly amenable to this strategy due to its immunoprivileged nature and low turnover rate. We assayed the potential of AAV vectors to transduce keratocytes following intra-stromal injection in vivo in the mouse cornea and ex vivo in human explants. In murine and human corneas, we transduced the entire stroma using a single injection, preferentially targeted keratocytes and achieved long-term gene transfer (up to 17 months in vivo in mice). Of the serotypes tested, AAV2/8 was the most promising for gene transfer in both mouse and man. Furthermore, transgene expression could be transiently increased following aggression to the cornea

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Perceptions of the family physician from adolescents and their caregivers preparing to transition to adult care

Background: Adolescents with chronic health conditions and/or disabilities (CHC/D’s) often face challenges when transitioning to adult care, which leads to a higher risk of morbidity and mortality. Although it is recommended that establishing the medical home and family physician (FP) attachment prior to transfer will improve health outcomes, there is little evidence or policy surrounding the role of the FP during this transition. This study explores the described use of health services by adolescents with CHC/D’s, as well as the adolescent’s and caregiver’s perceptions of their FP. Methods: Participants were recruited from the British Columbia Children’s Hospital, Canada and a multi-method phased approach was used. In Phase 1, 84 adolescent and caregiver pairs completed questionnaires asking what medical services they accessed for specific health needs. In Phase 2, another cohort of 21 adolescent and caregiver pairs completed the same questionnaires and were interviewed regarding their perception of their FP. Results: 96% (n = 81) of adolescents with CHC/D’s in phase 1 had a FP. Thirty four percent (n = 34) of adolescents had not seen their FP in the last 6 months. While adolescents with CHC/D mostly accessed their FP for primary health issues, they frequently also accessed specialists for prescription refills (50%, n = 51), mental health (29%, n = 30) and sexual health (16%, n = 16). While most adolescent/caregiver participants reported positive communication and trust in their FP, some had a poor understanding of the FP’s role in coordinating care. Conclusion: As many adolescents with CHC/D may see their FP infrequently and may not clearly understand their role, opportunities exist for strengthening primary care home attachment as well as adolescent and caregiver literacy around the potential contribution of the FP during and after transfer to adult services. Responsibility for improving care coordination for this population should be ideally shared between FPs and pediatric specialists.Applied Science, Faculty ofOther UBCNon UBCNursing, School ofReviewedFacult

Upconversion nanoparticles for sensing pH

Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) can provide a vehicle for chemical imaging by coupling chemically sensitive dyes and quenchers. The mechanism for coupling of two anthraquinone dyes, Calcium Red and Alizarin Red S, was investigated as a function of pH. The green emission band of the UCNPs was quenched by a pH-dependent inner filter effect (IFE) while the red emission band remained unchanged and acted as the reference signal for ratiometric pH measurements. Contrary to previous expectation, there was little evidence for a resonance energy transfer (RET) mechanism even when the anthraquinones were attached onto the UCNPs through electrostatic attraction. Since the UCNPs are point emitters, only emitters close to the surface of the UCNP are within the expected Forster distance and UC-RET is via IFE