Ideas and Enhancements Related to Mobile Applications to Support Type 1 Diabetes

Background: Mobile devices have become increasingly important to young people who now use them to access a wide variety of health-related information. Research and policy related to the integration of health information and support with this technology do not effectively consider the viewpoint of a younger patient. Views of young people with type 1 diabetes are vital in developing quality services and improving their own health-related quality of life (HRQOL), yet research on their lifestyle and use of Web and mobile technology to support their condition and in non–health-related areas is sparse. Objective: To develop insight into young people with type 1 diabetes and their current use of Web and mobile technology and its potential impact on HRQOL. This can be achieved by constructing an in-depth picture of their day-to-day experiences from qualitative interviewing and exploring how they make use of technology in their lives and in relation to their condition and treatment. The goal was then to build something to help them, using the researcher’s technical expertise and seeking users’ opinions during the design and build, utilizing sociotechnical design principles. Methods: Data were collected by semistructured, in-depth qualitative interviews (N=9) of young people with type 1 diabetes aged 18-21. Interviews were transcribed and loaded onto NVivo for theme identification. Data analysis was undertaken during initial interviews (n=4) to locate potential ideas and enhancements for technical development. Latter interviews (n=5) assisted in the iterative sociotechnical design process of the development and provided additional developmental ideas. Results: Six themes were identified providing an understanding of how participants lived with and experienced their condition and how they used technology. Four technological suggestions for improvement were taken forward for prototyping. One prototype was developed as a clinically approved app. A number of ideas for new mobile apps and enhancements to currently existing apps that did not satisfactorily cater to this age group’s requirements for use in terms of design and functionality were suggested by interviewees but were not prototyped. Conclusions: This paper outlines the nonprototyped suggestions from interviewees and argues that young people with type 1 diabetes have a key role to play in the design and implementation of new technology to support them and improve HRQOL. It is vital to include and reflect on their suggestions as they have a radically different view of technology than either their parents or practitioners. We need to consider the relationship to technology that young people with type 1 diabetes have, and then reflect on how this might make a difference to them and when it might not be a suitable mechanism to use

Соціальна культура громадян - найкращий антикризовий засіб

An anthracene-functionalized thermosensitive block copolymer was synthesized, which formed micelles by heating its aqueous solution above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST). The micelles were subsequently crosslinked by UV illumination at 365 nm with a normal handheld UV lamp. The micelles showed a small size (30 nm) and high loading capacity (16.0 ± 0.1%) for paclitaxel and released paclitaxel for more than ten days

Improving health and well-being through community health champions: a thematic evaluation of a programme in Yorkshire and Humber.

AIMS: The contribution that lay people can make to the public health agenda is being increasingly recognised in research and policy literature. This paper examines the role of lay workers (referred to as 'community health champions') involved in community projects delivered by Altogether Better across Yorkshire and Humber. The aim of the paper is to describe key features of the community health champion approach and to examine the evidence that this type of intervention can have an impact on health. METHODS: A qualitative approach was taken to the evaluation, with two strands to gathering evidence: interviews conducted with different stakeholder groups including project leads, key partners from community and statutory sectors and community workers, plus two participatory workshops to gather the views of community health champions. Seven projects (from a possible 12) were identified to be involved in the evaluation. Those projects that allowed the evaluation team to explore fully the champion role (training, infrastructure, etc.) and how that works in practice as a mechanism for empowerment were selected. In total, 29 semi-structured interviews were conducted with project staff and partners, and 30 champions, varying in terms of age, gender, ethnicity and disability, took part in the workshops. RESULTS: Becoming a community health champion has health benefits such as increased self-esteem and confidence and improved well-being. For some champions, this was the start of a journey to other opportunities such as education or paid employment. There were many examples of the influence of champions extending to the wider community of family, friends and neighbours, including helping to support people to take part in community life. Champions recognised the value of connecting people through social networks, group activities, and linking people into services and the impact that that had on health and well-being. Project staff and partners also recognised that champions were promoting social cohesiveness and helping to integrate people into their community. CONCLUSIONS: The recent public health White Paper suggested that the Altogether Better programme is improving individual and community health as well as increasing social capital, voluntary activity and wider civic participation. This evaluation supports this statement and suggests that the community health champion role can be a catalyst for change for both individuals and communities

Холотропное дыхание как метод реализации потенциала личности сотрудника

На сегодняшний день в организациях существует множество проблем, из-за которых возникают сложности как в управлении предприятием, так и в эффективной работе сотрудников. Для любого управляющего компанией важно, чтобы сотрудник был уверенным, умеющим нестандартно мыслить, инициативным, целеустремленным, но в большинстве случаев на предприятии такие сотрудники отсутствуют или их количество ограниченно. В любом сотруднике кроется творческая личность, которая не всегда может быть реализована на практике или же просто подавлена. Для того чтобы предприятие могло эффективно функционировать, важно, чтобы каждый сотрудник мог разобраться в своих проблемах и обрести внутреннюю гармонию, которая позволит ему настроиться на работу и выполнять ее эффективно. Методика холотропного дыхания может помочь личности реализовать свой скрытый потенциал. Цель работы: определить значимость методики холотропного дыхания в организации и выявить, какое влияние она оказывает как на сотрудников, так и на предприятие в целом. Методы исследования: анализ литера- туры по данной проблематике, аналитический метод. Результаты: выводы, полученные в данном исследовании, способствуют определению действенности методики холотропного дыхания и значимости ее применения в организации. Today there are many problems in organizations which lead to difficulties in the management of an enterpriseand in the effective work of the staff. For any company manager it is important that the employee wasconfident, able to think outside the box, initiative, committed, but in most cases such employees are absent ortheir number is limited. There is creative personality in any employee which can’t always be revealed or issimply suppressed. In order for a company to operate effectively, it is important that every employee couldunderstand their problems and find inner harmony, which will allow them to tune into work and perform itefficiently. The technique of holotropic breathwork can help the person to realize their hidden potential. Objective:to determine the significance of the technique of holotropic breathwork in the organization and itsimpact on the employees and the enterprise as a whole. Methods: review of the literature on this subject,data analysis. Results. The findings of this study help to identify the effective methods of holotropic breathworkand the importance of its application in the organization

Visions in monochrome: Families, marriage and the individualisation thesis

This paper takes issue with the way in which the individualisation thesis – in which it is assumed that close relationships have become tenuous and fragile - has become so dominant in ‘new’ sociological theorising about family life. Although others have criticised this thesis, in this paper the main criticism derives from empirical research findings carried out with members of transnational families living in Britain whose values and practices do not fit easily with ideas of individualisation. It is argued that we need a much more complex and less linear notion of how families change across generations and in time

Diagnosing uncertainty, producing neonatal abstinence syndrome

The use of alcohol and other drugs during pregnancy is understood to be an important public health problem. One way in which this problem is expressed and responded to is via the identification and treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). In this article, we demonstrate how the processes of anticipating, identifying and responding to NAS are characterised by significant uncertainty among parents and health and social care practitioners. We draw on interviews with 16 parents who had recently had a baby at risk of NAS, and multidisciplinary focus groups with 27 health and social care professionals, held in Scotland, UK. NAS, and drug use in pregnancy, is a fraught and complex arena. Parents in the UK who use opioids risk losing custody of children, and must navigate a high degree of surveillance, governance and marginalisation. We suggest that considering NAS as a social diagnosis, further informed by Mol's political ontology of ‘multiple’ bodies/diseases, may help to produce clinical and social responses to uncertainty which avoid, rather than promote, further marginalisation of parents who use drugs. One such response is to develop a culture of relationship‐based care which empowers both service providers and service users to challenge existing practice and decision‐making.Output Status: Forthcoming/Available Onlin

Alginate microspheres containing temperature sensitive liposomes (TSL) for MR-guided embolization and triggered release of doxorubicin

Objective The objective of this study was to develop and characterize alginate microspheres suitable for embolization with on-demand triggered doxorubicin (DOX) release and whereby the microspheres as well as the drug releasing process can be visualized in vivo using MRI. Methods and Findings For this purpose, barium crosslinked alginate microspheres were loaded with temperature sensitive liposomes (TSL/TSL-Ba-ms), which release their payload upon mild hyperthermia. These TSL contained DOX and [Gd(HPDO3A)(H2O)], a T1 MRI contrast agent, for real time visualization of the release. Empty alginate microspheres crosslinked with holmium ions (T2* MRI contrast agent, Ho-ms) were mixed with TSL-Ba-ms to allow microsphere visualization. TSL-Ba-ms and Ho-ms were prepared with a homemade spray device and sized by sieving. Encapsulation of TSL in barium crosslinked microspheres changed the triggered release properties only slightly: 95% of the loaded DOX was released from free TSL vs. 86% release for TSL-Ba-ms within 30 seconds in 50% FBS at 42°C. TSL-Ba-ms (76 ± 41 μm) and Ho-ms (64 ± 29 μm) had a comparable size, which most likely will result in a similar in vivo tissue distribution after an i.v. co-injection and therefore Ho-ms can be used as tracer for the TSL-Ba-ms. MR imaging of a TSL-Ba-ms and Ho-ms mixture (ratio 95:5) before and after hyperthermia allowed in vitro and in vivo visualization of microsphere deposition (T2*-weighted images) as well as temperature-triggered release (T1-weighted images). The [Gd(HPDO3A)(H2O)] release and clusters of microspheres containing holmium ions were visualized in a VX2 tumor model in a rabbit using MRI. Conclusions In conclusion, these TSL-Ba-ms and Ho-ms are promising systems for real-time, MR-guided embolization and triggered release of drugs in vivo

Філософія права в системі наук

Thermosensitive amphiphilic block copolymers self-assemble into micelles above their lower critical solution temperature in water, however, the micelles generally display mediocre physical stability. To stabilize such micelles and increase their loading capacity for chemotherapeutic drugs, block copolymers with novel aromatic monomers were synthesized by free radical polymerization of N-(2-benzoyloxypropyl methacrylamide (HPMAm-Bz) or the corresponding naphthoyl analogue (HPMAm-Nt), with N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide monolactate, using a polyethylene glycol based macroinitiator. The critical micelle temperatures and critical micelle concentrations decreased with increasing the HPMAm-Bz/Nt content. The micelles of 30-50 nm were prepared by heating the polymer aqueous solutions from 0 to 50 degrees C and were colloidally stable for at least 48 h at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C. Paclitaxel and docetaxel encapsulation was performed by mixing drug solutions in ethanol with polymer aqueous solutions and heating from 0 to 50 degrees C. The micelles had a drug loading capacity up to 34 wt % for docetaxel, which is among the highest loadings reported for polymeric micelles, with loaded micelle sizes ranging from 60 to 80 nm. The micelles without aromatic groups almost completely released loaded paclitaxel in 10 days, whereas the HPMAm-Bz/Nt containing micelles released 50% of the paclitaxel at the same time, which showed a better retention for the drug of the latter micelles. (1)H solid-state NMR spectroscopy data are compatible with pi-pi stacking between aromatic groups. The empty micelles demonstrated good cytocompatibility, and paclitaxel-loaded micelles showed high cytotoxicity to tumor cells. In conclusion, the pi-pi stacking effect introduced by aromatic groups increases the stability and loading capacity of polymeric micelles

Chondrogenic potential of chondrocytes in hyaluronic acid/PEG-based hydrogels is dependent on the hyaluronic acid concentration

Purpose: Hydrogels based on PEG and methacrylated poly(N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide-mono/dilactate) (M10P10) are promising biomaterials for Biofabrication of cartilage constructs. Addition of hyaluronic acid (HA) to a hydrogel improves printability by increasing the viscosity. Methacrylating HA (HAMA) can ensure covalent binding in M10P10 hydrogels after UV-cross-linking. Chondrocytes can interact with HAMA via their CD44 receptor, however, the influence of HAMA on chondrogenic potential is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of different HAMA concentrations on chondrogenesis of chondrocytes in M10P10/HAMA hydrogels. Materials & Methods: Equine chondrocytes were encapsulated in M10P10 hydrogels containing different HAMA concentrations. Cylindrical constructs were cast, UV-cross-linked, and cultured in TGF-β-containing medium. Constructs were analyzed for evidence of cartilage formation. Results: Preliminary data showed an increase in glycosaminoglycan (GAG)/DNA for constructs with low HAMA concentrations (0.1-0.25%) while no differences were found for higher HAMA concentrations, compared to hydrogels without HAMA (Figure 1a). Further, constructs without or with low HAMA concentrations (0.1-0.5%) demonstrated collagen type II positive areas, while this was less pronounced in constructs with 0.5-1% HAMA (n=3, Figure 1b). Conclusion: Preliminary results indicate a dose-dependent effect of HAMA on chondrogenesis of chondrocytes: low concentrations (0.1-0.25%) increase GAG production while higher concentrations (0.5-1%) have no effect on GAG production and reduce collagen type II synthesis. Ongoing evaluations will reveal the extent of chondrogenesis and its association with HAMA concentrations in M10P10/HAMA, and the mechanism responsible for the dose-dependent effect. This study will impact the use of HAMA as viscosity enhancer to improve the printability of hydrogel

E-selectin targeted immunoliposomes for rapamycin delivery to activated endothelial cells

Activated endothelial cells play a pivotal role in the pathology of inflammatory disorders and thus present a target for therapeutic intervention by drugs that intervene in inflammatory signaling cascades, such as rapamycin (mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor). In this study we developed anti-E-selectin immunoliposomes for targeted delivery to E-selectin over-expressing tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) activated endothelial cells. Liposomes composed of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3.; hosphocholine (DPPC), Cholesterol, and 1,2-Distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy(polyethyleneglycol)-2000]-maleimide (DSPE-PEG- Mal) were loaded with rapamycin via lipid film hydration, after which they were further functionalized by coupling N-succinimidyl-S-acetylthioacetate (SATA)-modified mouse anti human E-selectin antibodies to the distal ends of the maleimidyl (Mal)-PEG groups. In cell binding assays, these immunoliposomes bound specifically to TNF-alpha activated endothelial cells. Upon internalization, rapamycin loaded immunoliposomes inhibited proliferation and migration of endothelial cells, as well as expression of inflammatory mediators. Our findings demonstrate that rapamycin-loaded immunoliposomes can specifically inhibit inflammatory responses in inflamed endothelial cells