The use of Mobile Applications in the Perioperative Management of Patients with Colorectal Cancer

Background and Aim: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide both in men and women. The scope of this systematic review was to investigate if mobile applications exists and what are the benefits in the screening, diagnostic, pre-operative preparation, or post-operative follow-ups on the patients with colorectal cancer.  Materials and Methods: We used the frame of PRISMA guideline. On September 1th, 2023, we systematically searched PubMed using the MeSH terms “Colorectal Neoplasms” and “Mobile Applications”. No restrictions on the types of articles or publication date were imposed. Results: A total of 24 items were retained. The article’s titles and abstracts were screened and 7 articles were removed due to the absence of the abstracts (n=2), the article described a prognostic scoring model (n=2), one was a systematic review, one was reviewing the use of SMS and one was a letter to the editor.  Out of the 17 remaining articles, only 7 were available in full text and all were testing mobile applications. The scope of using the applications was to facilitate screening (n=3), recovery (n = 3) and monitor chemotoxicity (n=1). Conclusions: Mobile tools appear as an opportunity for rapid access and increased adherence to colorectal cancer screening guidelines. Mobile applications focused on patient recovery post colorectal cancer surgery need a more patient-centric approach. The mobile application built for monitoring chemotoxicity was deemed to address many of the limitations of identifying and quantifying chemotherapy toxicities. All in all, mobile applications may enhance existing clinical care and provide cost‐effective real‐time patient support, which may reduce the likelihood of hospital admission

A Systematic Literature Review of the Use of Robotic Surgical Procedures in Thyroid Neoplasms

Background and Aim: The incidence of thyroid cancer has increased worldwide during the last decade, being one of the most common endocrine malignancies. Surgical resection, namely conventional thyroidectomy, remains at the frontline of therapy, Minimally invasive techniques gained popularity through the years. The purpose of this systematic review was to understand the most common techniques and to evaluate the outcomes of minimally invasive techniques. Materials and Methods: A literature search was conducted on 20 August 2023 using two MeSH terms: “Robotic Surgical Procedure” and “Thyroid Neoplasms” using PICOTS and PRISMA Statements. The results were narrowed to the articles available in full text. Results: A total of 31 items were retained. The article’s titles and abstracts were screened and nine articles were removed as five articles were reviews, two articles were case repots, one was a letter to the editor and one was describing the impact of augmented reality. Remaining 22 articles to analyze the content. Conclusion: This study found that the most used minimally invasive thyroid surgical techniques are robotic transaxillary thyroidectomy and robotic thyroidectomy by bilateral axillo-breast approach. From the systematic review, it can be concluded that for selected patients (well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma), these modern techniques are not inferior to standard of care and are a safe alternative, with the advantage of avoiding a potentially disfiguring scar in the neck, when performed by surgeons who are familiar with and experienced in endoscopic and robotic techniques

The DREAM Dataset: Supporting a data-driven study of autism spectrum disorder and robot enhanced therapy

We present a dataset of behavioral data recorded from 61 children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The data was collected during a large-scale evaluation of Robot Enhanced Therapy (RET). The dataset covers over 3000 therapy sessions and more than 300 hours of therapy. Half of the children interacted with the social robot NAO supervised by a therapist. The other half, constituting a control group, interacted directly with a therapist. Both groups followed the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) protocol. Each session was recorded with three RGB cameras and two RGBD (Kinect) cameras, providing detailed information of children’s behavior during therapy. This public release of the dataset comprises body motion, head position and orientation, and eye gaze variables, all specified as 3D data in a joint frame of reference. In addition, metadata including participant age, gender, and autism diagnosis (ADOS) variables are included. We release this data with the hope of supporting further data-driven studies towards improved therapy methods as well as a better understanding of ASD in general.CC BY 4.0DREAM - Development of robot-enhanced therapy for children with autism spectrum disorders

Executive Functions and Emotion Regulation in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Borderline Intellectual Disability

The main objective of this study is to investigate the multiple relations and to determine the differences between executive functions (EFs), emotion regulation, and behavioral and emotional problems in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), borderline intellectual disability (ID), and typical development (TD). The sample included 85 children aged 6 to 11 years, 42 with typical development (TD), 27 with ADHD, and 16 with borderline ID. The results emphasized a positive correlation between adaptive emotion regulation strategies and EFs, and no significant relations between the maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and EFs. In addition, the executive function of planning correlated negatively with anxiety, ADHD symptoms, and conduct problems. The performance of both clinical groups regarding EFs was significantly lower than that of the TD group, and they differed significantly from each other only on visual attention. The presence of oppositional-defiant and conduct problems was higher in both clinical groups than in the TD group, and more anxiety symptoms were reported in children with ADHD. This study supports the idea that emotion regulation, Efs, and clinical symptoms are interconnected. It also profiles the deficits in cognitive functioning and emotion regulation in two clinical groups, thus helping future intervention programs

The DREAM Dataset: Supporting a data-driven study of autism spectrum disorder and robot enhanced therapy

We present a dataset of behavioral data recorded from 61 children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The data was collected during a large-scale evaluation of Robot Enhanced Therapy (RET). The dataset covers over 3000 therapy sessions and more than 300 hours of therapy. Half of the children interacted with the social robot NAO supervised by a therapist. The other half, constituting a control group, interacted directly with a therapist. Both groups followed the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) protocol. Each session was recorded with three RGB cameras and two RGBD (Kinect) cameras, providing detailed information of children’s behavior during therapy. This public release of the dataset comprises body motion, head position and orientation, and eye gaze variables, all specified as 3D data in a joint frame of reference. In addition, metadata including participant age, gender, and autism diagnosis (ADOS) variables are included. We release this data with the hope of supporting further data-driven studies towards improved therapy methods as well as a better understanding of ASD in general

Research and Science Today No. 2(6)/2013

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE TODAY is a biannual science journal established in 2011. The journal is an informational platform that publishes assessment articles and the results of various scientific research carried out by academics. We provide the authors with the opportunity to create and/or perfect their science writing skills. Thus, each issue of the journal (two per year and at least two supplements) will contain professional articles from any academic field, authored by domestic and international academics. The goal of this journal is to pass on relevant information to undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate students as well as to fellow academics and researchers; the topics covered are unlimited, considering its multi-disciplinary profile. Regarding the national and international visibility of Research and Science Today, it is indexed in over 30 international databases (IDB) and is present in over 200 online libraries and catalogues; therefore, anybody can easily consult the articles featured in each issue by accessing the databases or simply the website