WorldWideScience

Sample records for self-contained mobile delivery

  1. Self-folding polymeric containers for encapsulation and delivery of drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandes, Rohan; Gracias, David H

    2012-11-01

    Self-folding broadly refers to self-assembly processes wherein thin films or interconnected planar templates curve, roll-up or fold into three dimensional (3D) structures such as cylindrical tubes, spirals, corrugated sheets or polyhedra. The process has been demonstrated with metallic, semiconducting and polymeric films and has been used to curve tubes with diameters as small as 2nm and fold polyhedra as small as 100nm, with a surface patterning resolution of 15nm. Self-folding methods are important for drug delivery applications since they provide a means to realize 3D, biocompatible, all-polymeric containers with well-tailored composition, size, shape, wall thickness, porosity, surface patterns and chemistry. Self-folding is also a highly parallel process, and it is possible to encapsulate or self-load therapeutic cargo during assembly. A variety of therapeutic cargos such as small molecules, peptides, proteins, bacteria, fungi and mammalian cells have been encapsulated in self-folded polymeric containers. In this review, we focus on self-folding of all-polymeric containers. We discuss the mechanistic aspects of self-folding of polymeric containers driven by differential stresses or surface tension forces, the applications of self-folding polymers in drug delivery and we outline future challenges. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Grizzli mobile systems and LPG delivery management; Grizzli mobile systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anon.

    2000-07-01

    Complete text of publication follows: Grizzli Mobile Systems (and its sister companies) specialists in data communications and system solutions, offer their complete management solution for LPG deliveries, right through from remote reading of the gas level in the tank, through route management, management of the delivery itself and finally on-site invoicing and payment. The system permits a supplier to really differentiate itself from its competitors in terms of customer service and control of its operations. Domestic gas tanks are often difficult to access; visual reading of the gauge is not always easy and often leads to the customer re-ordering in panic mode. The supplier has also to react in panic mode to the customer. Grizzli Mobile Systems has developed a radio module that is fitted to the gas tank that calls, at regular set intervals with the tank level to a Call Rider gateway plug. The Call Rider is a small box plugged into the regular telephone socket (also supplying multiple operator telephony and other home automation services). As soon as the gas level reaches a predetermined minimum level, this radio information is relayed via the Internet to the LPG supplier. The supplier can then arrange (in non-panic mode) to deliver gas to the customer, via conventional means or by use of an interactive radio display (attached to a refrigerator or similar by magnets) that communicates with the Call Rider by radio. Once a delivery date has been set, a Grizzli Mobile Systems' dispatch system, installed at the supplier's headquarters creates and transfers routes via GSM communications to its fleet of delivery vehicles. A main-frame mapping software provides real-time follow-up and status checks of the vehicles using the GPS functionality and imports data back from the vehicles and updates databases. The driver is also assisted in localizing delivery sites. Inside the cabin of the vehicle the driver has available a Fujitsu PenCentra pen computer, a Microsoft

  3. Delivery of Patient-Reported Outcome Instruments by Automated Mobile Phone Text Messaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anthony, Christopher A; Lawler, Ericka A; Glass, Natalie A; McDonald, Katelyn; Shah, Apurva S

    2017-11-01

    Patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments allow patients to interpret their health and are integral in evaluating orthopedic treatments and outcomes. The purpose of this study was to define: (1) correlation between PROs collected by automated delivery of text messages on mobile phones compared with paper delivery; and (2) patient use characteristics of a technology platform utilizing automated delivery of text messages on mobile phones. Paper versions of the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and the short form of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) were completed by patients in orthopedic hand and upper extremity clinics. Over the next 48 hours, the same patients also completed the mobile phone portion of the study outside of the clinic which included text message delivery of the SF-12 and QuickDASH, assigned in a random order. Correlations between paper and text message delivery of the 2 PROs were assessed. Among 72 patients, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between the written and mobile phone delivery of QuickDASH was 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85-0.95). The ICC between the paper and mobile phone delivery of the SF-12 physical health composite score was 0.88 (95% CI, 0.79-0.93) and 0.86 (95% CI, 0.75-0.92) for the SF-12 mental health composite score. We find that text message delivery using mobile phones permits valid assessment of SF-12 and QuickDASH scores. The findings suggest that software-driven automated delivery of text communication to patients via mobile phones may be a valid method to obtain other PRO scores in orthopedic patients.

  4. Addressing medication nonadherence by mobile phone: development and delivery of tailored messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gatwood, Justin; Balkrishnan, Rajesh; Erickson, Steven R; An, Lawrence C; Piette, John D; Farris, Karen B

    2014-01-01

    Medication nonadherence remains a significant public health problem, and efforts to improve adherence have shown only limited impact. The tailoring of messages has become a popular method of developing communication to influence specific health-related behaviors but the development and impact of tailored text messages on medication use is poorly understood. The aim of this paper is to describe an approach to developing theory-based tailored messages for delivery via mobile phone to improve medication adherence among patients with diabetes. Kreuter's five-step tailoring process was followed to create tailored messages for mobile phone delivery. Two focus group sessions, using input from 11 people, and expert review of message content were used to adapt the survey instrument on which the messages were tailored and edit the developed messages for the target population. Following established tailoring methods a library of 168 theory-driven and 128 medication-specific tailored messages were developed and formatted for automated delivery to mobile phones. Concepts from the Health Belief Model and Self-Determination Theory were used to craft the messages and an algorithm was applied to determine the order and timing of messages with the aim of progressively influencing disease and treatment-related beliefs driving adherence to diabetes medication. The process described may be applied to future investigations aiming to improve medication adherence in patients with diabetes and the effectiveness of the current messages will be tested in a planned analysis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems for oral insulin delivery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Ping; Tan, Angel; Prestidge, Clive A

    2014-01-01

    This study aims at evaluating the combination of self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) and enteric-coated capsules as a potential delivery strategy for oral delivery of insulin. The SNEDDS preconcentrates, loaded with insulin-phospholipid complex at different levels (0, 2.5 and 10% w...

  6. Application of mixture experimental design in formulation and characterization of solid self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems containing carbamazepine

    OpenAIRE

    Krstić Marko Z.; Ibrić Svetlana R.

    2016-01-01

    One of the problems with orally used drugs is their poor solubility, which can be overcame by creating solid self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS). Aim is choosing appropriate SNEDDS using mixture design and adsorption of SNEDDS on a solid carrier to improve the dissolution rate of carbamazepine. Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) consisting of oil phase (caprilic-capric triglycerides), a surfactant (Polisorbat 80 and Labrasol® (1:...

  7. Improved Oral Bioavailability Using a Solid Self-Microemulsifying Drug Delivery System Containing a Multicomponent Mixture Extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaolin Bi

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The active ingredients of salvia (dried root of Salvia miltiorrhiza include both lipophilic (e.g., tanshinone IIA, tanshinone I, cryptotanshinone and dihydrotanshinone I and hydrophilic (e.g., danshensu and salvianolic acid B constituents. The low oral bioavailability of these constituents may limit their efficacy. A solid self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (S-SMEDDS was developed to load the various active constituents of salvia into a single drug delivery system and improve their oral bioavailability. A prototype SMEDDS was designed using solubility studies and phase diagram construction, and characterized by self-emulsification performance, stability, morphology, droplet size, polydispersity index and zeta potential. Furthermore, the S-SMEDDS was prepared by dispersing liquid SMEDDS containing liposoluble extract into a solution containing aqueous extract and hydrophilic polymer, and then freeze-drying. In vitro release of tanshinone IIA, salvianolic acid B, cryptotanshinone and danshensu from the S-SMEDDS was examined, showing approximately 60%–80% of each active component was released from the S-SMEDDS in vitro within 20 min. In vivo bioavailability of these four constituents indicated that the S-SMEDDS showed superior in vivo oral absorption to a drug suspension after oral administration in rats. It can be concluded that the novel S-SMEDDS developed in this study increased the dissolution rate and improved the oral bioavailability of both lipophilic and hydrophilic constituents of salvia. Thus, the S-SMEDDS can be regarded as a promising new method by which to deliver salvia extract, and potentially other multicomponent drugs, by the oral route.

  8. Content Delivery in Future Mobile Communication Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jonas, Karl; Raber, Sergey

    2003-07-01

    With the fast progress in the deployment of wireless networks during the last few years, the global communication market requires the development of new methods for content delivery towards mobile users. It is currently characterised by the introduction of the 3rd generation of terrestrial mobile networks based on 3GPP's UMTS standard. It is expected that this will eventually lead to integrated all-IP-based infrastructures supporting a variety of radio access technologies (so-called beyond-3G-networks or 4th Generation networks). The integration of mobility support, security and accounting and provisioning of differentiated qualities of service are among the issues which are currently researched in the 4G framework.Since it is not possible to change network protocols and infrastructure at once in order to optimize them for mobile services, it is very important to find an appropriate way for the migration from the current infrastructure towards an integrated architecture, where fixed and mobile networks coexist and interoperate in the most effective and flexible way.The integration of satellite communication networks into the terrestrial mobile communication environment is the focus of R&D activities at the Competence Centre for Advanced Satellite Communication of the FhG FOKUS institute. These activities are presented in this article, with a focus on the CoDeSat Content Delivery over Satellite project.In the remainder of this article we first summarize services and service requirements as they are considered in our work. We then discuss the challenges derived from these requirements with respect to current network and protocol architectures. Finally, we describe our approach, and the current status of our prototype implementation.

  9. Innovative Mobile Platform Developments for Electronic Services Design and Delivery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scupola, Ada

    In the ever-growing world of technology, it is becoming more important to understand the developments of new electronic services and mobile applications. Innovative Mobile Platform Developments for Electronic Services Design, and Delivery is a comprehensive look at all aspects of production manag...

  10. Survey on Monitoring and Quality Controlling of the Mobile Biosignal Delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pawar, Pravin A; Edla, Damodar R; Edoh, Thierry; Shinde, Vijay; van Beijnum, Bert-Jan

    2017-10-31

    A Mobile Patient Monitoring System (MPMS) acquires patient's biosignals and transmits them using wireless network connection to the decision-making module or healthcare professional for the assessment of patient's condition. A variety of wireless network technologies such as wireless personal area networks (e.g., Bluetooth), mobile ad-hoc networks (MANET), and infrastructure-based networks (e.g., WLAN and cellular networks) are in practice for biosignals delivery. The wireless network quality-of-service (QoS) requirements of biosignals delivery are mainly specified in terms of required bandwidth, acceptable delay, and tolerable error rate. An important research challenge in the MPMS is how to satisfy QoS requirements of biosignals delivery in the environment characterized by patient mobility, deployment of multiple wireless network technologies, and variable QoS characteristics of the wireless networks. QoS requirements are mainly application specific, while available QoS is largely dependent on QoS provided by wireless network in use. QoS provisioning refers to providing support for improving QoS experience of networked applications. In resource poor conditions, application adaptation may also be required to make maximum use of available wireless network QoS. This survey paper presents a survey of recent developments in the area of QoS provisioning for MPMS. In particular, our contributions are as follows: (1) overview of wireless networks and network QoS requirements of biosignals delivery; (2) survey of wireless networks' QoS performance evaluation for the transmission of biosignals; and (3) survey of QoS provisioning mechanisms for biosignals delivery in MPMS. We also propose integrating end-to-end QoS monitoring and QoS provisioning strategies in a mobile patient monitoring system infrastructure to support optimal delivery of biosignals to the healthcare professionals.

  11. Mobile nuclear reactor containment vessel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thompson, R.E.; Spurrier, F.R.; Jones, A.R.

    1978-01-01

    A containment vessel for use in mobile nuclear reactor installations is described. The containment vessel completely surrounds the entire primary system, and is located as close to the reactor primary system components as is possible in order to minimize weight. In addition to being designed to withstand a specified internal pressure, the containment vessel is also designed to maintain integrity as a containment vessel in case of a possible collision accident

  12. Mobile Learning: Creation, delivery and evaluation of eBooks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kalz, Marco; Ternier, Stefaan

    2012-01-01

    Kalz, M., & Ternier, S. (2012, 10 December). Mobile Learning: Creation, delivery and evaluation of eBooks. Workshop for TPG Academy and a South African Delegation, Heerlen, The Netherlands: Open Universiteit in the Netherlands.

  13. Specialist participation in healthcare delivery transformation: influence of patient self-referral.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aliu, Oluseyi; Sun, Gordon; Burke, James; Chung, Kevin C; Davis, Matthew M

    2014-01-01

    Improving coordination of care and containing healthcare costs are prominent goals of healthcare reform. Specialist involvement in healthcare delivery transformation efforts like Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) is necessary to achieve these goals. However, patients’ self-referrals to specialists may undermine care coordination and incur unnecessary costs if patients frequently receive care from specialists not engaged in such healthcare delivery transformation efforts. Additionally, frequent self-referrals may also diminish the incentive for specialist participation in reform endeavors like ACOs to get access to a referral base. To examine recent national trends in self-referred new visits to specialists. A descriptive cross-sectional study of new ambulatory visits to specialists from 2000 to 2009 using data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. We calculated nationally representative estimates of the proportion of new specialist visits through self-referrals among Medicare and private insurance beneficiaries. We also estimated the nationally representative absolute number of self-referred new specialist visits among both groups of beneficiaries. Among Medicare and private insurance beneficiaries, self-referred visits declined from 32.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 24.0%-40.4%) to 19.6% (95% CI, 13.9%-23.3%) and from 32.4% (95% CI, 27.9%-36.8%) to 24.1% (95% CI,18.8%-29.4%), respectively. Hence, at least 1 in 5 and 1 in 4 new visits to specialists among Medicare and private insurance beneficiaries, respectively, are self-referred. The current considerable rate of self-referred new specialist visits among both Medicare and private insurance beneficiaries may have adverse implications for organizations attempting to transform healthcare delivery with improved care coordination.

  14. Personality and self-reported use of mobile phones for games.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, James G; Butt, Sarah; Blaszczynski, Alex

    2006-12-01

    Mobile phones are popular devices that may generate problems for a section of the community. A previous study using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire found that extraverts with low self-esteem reported more problems with their mobile phone use. The present study used the NEO FI and Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory to predict the self reported mobile phone use of 112 participants. Multiple regression found that people low on agreeableness were more likely to use their mobile phones to play games. The findings imply an interplay between personality traits and excessive or problematic use on mobile phones that is relevant to proposed innovations such as gambling on mobile phones.

  15. Polyethylenimine-based polyplex delivery of self-replicating RNA vaccines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Démoulins, Thomas; Milona, Panagiota; Englezou, Pavlos C; Ebensen, Thomas; Schulze, Kai; Suter, Rolf; Pichon, Chantal; Midoux, Patrick; Guzmán, Carlos A; Ruggli, Nicolas; McCullough, Kenneth C

    2016-04-01

    Self-amplifying replicon RNA (RepRNA) are large molecules (12-14 kb); their self-replication amplifies mRNA template numbers, affording several rounds of antigen production, effectively increasing vaccine antigen payloads. Their sensitivity to RNase-sensitivity and inefficient uptake by dendritic cells (DCs) - absolute requirements for vaccine design - were tackled by condensing RepRNA into synthetic, nanoparticulate, polyethylenimine (PEI)-polyplex delivery vehicles. Polyplex-delivery formulations for small RNA molecules cannot be transferred to RepRNA due to its greater size and complexity; the N:P charge ratio and impact of RepRNA folding would influence polyplex condensation, post-delivery decompaction and the cytosolic release essential for RepRNA translation. Polyplex-formulations proved successful for delivery of RepRNA encoding influenza virus hemagglutinin and nucleocapsid to DCs. Cytosolic translocation was facilitated, leading to RepRNA translation. This efficacy was confirmed in vivo, inducing both humoral and cellular immune responses. Accordingly, this paper describes the first PEI-polyplexes providing efficient delivery of the complex and large, self-amplifying RepRNA vaccines. The use of self-amplifying replicon RNA (RepRNA) to increase vaccine antigen payloads can potentially be useful in effective vaccine design. Nonetheless, its use is limited by the degradation during the uptake process. Here, the authors attempted to solve this problem by packaging RepRNA using polyethylenimine (PEI)-polyplex delivery vehicles. The efficacy was confirmed in vivo by the appropriate humoral and cellular immune responses. This novel delivery method may prove to be very useful for future vaccine design. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Developing and validating an instrument for measuring mobile computing self-efficacy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yi-Shun; Wang, Hsiu-Yuan

    2008-08-01

    IT-related self-efficacy has been found to have a critical influence on system use. However, traditional measures of computer self-efficacy and Internet-related self-efficacy are perceived to be inapplicable in the context of mobile computing and commerce because they are targeted primarily at either desktop computer or wire-based technology contexts. Based on previous research, this study develops and validates a multidimensional instrument for measuring mobile computing self-efficacy (MCSE). This empirically validated instrument will be useful to researchers in developing and testing the theories of mobile user behavior, and to practitioners in assessing the mobile computing self-efficacy of users and promoting the use of mobile commerce systems.

  17. Self-assembled peptide-based nanostructures: Smart nanomaterials toward targeted drug delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Habibi, Neda; Kamaly, Nazila; Memic, Adnan; Shafiee, Hadi

    2016-02-01

    Self-assembly of peptides can yield an array of well-defined nanostructures that are highly attractive nanomaterials for many biomedical applications such as drug delivery. Some of the advantages of self-assembled peptide nanostructures over other delivery platforms include their chemical diversity, biocompatibility, high loading capacity for both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs, and their ability to target molecular recognition sites. Furthermore, these self-assembled nanostructures could be designed with novel peptide motifs, making them stimuli-responsive and achieving triggered drug delivery at disease sites. The goal of this work is to present a comprehensive review of the most recent studies on self-assembled peptides with a focus on their "smart" activity for formation of targeted and responsive drug-delivery carriers.

  18. Self-Assembled Hydrogel Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miguel Gama

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Hydrogel nanoparticles—also referred to as polymeric nanogels or macromolecular micelles—are emerging as promising drug carriers for therapeutic applications. These nanostructures hold versatility and properties suitable for the delivery of bioactive molecules, namely of biopharmaceuticals. This article reviews the latest developments in the use of self-assembled polymeric nanogels for drug delivery applications, including small molecular weight drugs, proteins, peptides, oligosaccharides, vaccines and nucleic acids. The materials and techniques used in the development of self-assembling nanogels are also described.

  19. Self-control and problematic mobile phone use in Chinese college students: the mediating role of mobile phone use patterns

    OpenAIRE

    Jiang, Zhaocai; Zhao, Xiuxin

    2016-01-01

    Background With the popularity of mobile phones, problematic mobile phone use is getting increasing attention in recent years. Although self-control was found to be a critical predictor of problematic mobile phone use, no study has ever explored the association between self-control and mobile phone use patterns as well as the possible pathway how self-control affects problematic mobile phone use. Methods Four hundred sixty-eight college students were randomly selected in this study. Data were...

  20. Application of mixture experimental design in formulation and characterization of solid self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems containing carbamazepine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krstić Marko Z.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available One of the problems with orally used drugs is their poor solubility, which can be overcame by creating solid self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS. Aim is choosing appropriate SNEDDS using mixture design and adsorption of SNEDDS on a solid carrier to improve the dissolution rate of carbamazepine. Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS consisting of oil phase (caprilic-capric triglycerides, a surfactant (Polisorbat 80 and Labrasol® (1:1 and cosurfactant (Transcutol® HP are formed by applying mixture design. 16 formulations were formulated, where proportion of lipids, surfactant and cosurfactant were varied (input parameters in the following ranges: 10-30%, 40-60%, 30-50%, respectively. After dilution of SEDDS with water (90% water, the droplet size and polydispersity index (PdI of the obtained emulsions (output parameters were measured using photon correlation spectroscopy. After processing data, appropriate mathematical models that describe the dependence of input and output parameters were selected. The optimized SNEDDS was adsorbed on the carbamazepine and solid carrier physical mixture, containing 20% carbamazepine. Neusilin® UFl2, Neusilin® FL2, Sylysia® 320, diatomite were used as the carriers. The ratio of SNEDDS:carrier varied (1:1, 2:1. Dissolution testing was carried out in the rotation paddles apparatus. Caracterization of solid SNEDDS was performed using the hot stage microscopy (HSM, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, infrared spectrophotometry with Fourier transformation (FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM and X-ray diffraction (PXRD. Selected SNEDDS consisting of lipids (21.12%, surfactant (42.24% and cosurfactant (36.64% had a droplet size 157.02±34.09 nm and PDI 0.184±0.021. Drug release profiles showed that in all formulations dissolution rate increased (the fastest drug release was observed in formulations with Sylysia® 320. It can be concluded that in all

  1. Toxicology and drug delivery by cucurbit[n]uril type molecular containers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hettiarachchi, Gaya; Nguyen, Duc; Wu, Jing; Lucas, Derick; Ma, Da; Isaacs, Lyle; Briken, Volker

    2010-05-06

    Many drug delivery systems are based on the ability of certain macrocyclic compounds - such as cyclodextrins (CDs) - to act as molecular containers for pharmaceutical agents in water. Indeed beta-CD and its derivatives have been widely used in the formulation of hydrophobic pharmaceuticals despite their poor abilities to act as a molecular container (e.g., weak binding (K(a)containers that bind to a variety of cationic and neutral species with high affinity (K(a)>10(4) M(-1)) and therefore show great promise as a drug delivery system. In this study we investigated the toxicology, uptake, and bioactivity of two cucurbit[n]urils (CB[5] and CB[7]) and three CB[n]-type containers (Pentamer 1, methyl hexamer 2, and phenyl hexamer 3). All five containers demonstrated high cell tolerance at concentrations of up to 1 mM in cell lines originating from kidney, liver or blood tissue using assays for metabolic activity and cytotoxicity. Furthermore, the CB[7] molecular container was efficiently internalized by macrophages indicating their potential for the intracellular delivery of drugs. Bioactivity assays showed that the first-line tuberculosis drug, ethambutol, was as efficient in treating mycobacteria infected macrophages when loaded into CB[7] as when given in the unbound form. This result suggests that CB[7]-bound drug molecules can be released from the container to find their intracellular target. Our study reveals very low toxicity of five members of the cucurbit[n]uril family of nanocontainers. It demonstrates the uptake of containers by cells and intracellular release of container-loaded drugs. These results provide initial proof-of-concept towards the use of CB[n] molecular containers as an advanced drug delivery system.

  2. A Test Bed for Exploring Novel Concepts in Mobile Service Delivery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Christian Søndergaard; Su, J.; Nicklas, D.

    2008-01-01

    This paper describes an open, extendable, and scalable system that supports the delivery of context-dependent content to mobile users. The system enables users to receive content from multiple content providers that matches their demographic data, active proles, and context such as location...

  3. The Effectiveness of Self-Management Mobile Phone and Tablet Apps in Long-term Condition Management: A Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitehead, Lisa; Seaton, Philippa

    2016-05-16

    Long-term conditions and their concomitant management place considerable pressure on patients, communities, and health care systems worldwide. International clinical guidelines on the majority of long-term conditions recommend the inclusion of self-management programs in routine management. Self-management programs have been associated with improved health outcomes; however, the successful and sustainable transfer of research programs into clinical practice has been inconsistent. Recent developments in mobile technology, such as mobile phone and tablet computer apps, could help in developing a platform for the delivery of self-management interventions that are adaptable, of low cost, and easily accessible. We conducted a systematic review to assess the effectiveness of mobile phone and tablet apps in self-management of key symptoms of long-term conditions. We searched PubMed, Embase, EBSCO databases, the Cochrane Library, and The Joanna Briggs Institute Library for randomized controlled trials that assessed the effectiveness of mobile phone and tablet apps in self-management of diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and chronic lung diseases from 2005-2016. We searched registers of current and ongoing trials, as well as the gray literature. We then checked the reference lists of all primary studies and review papers for additional references. The last search was run in February 2016. Of the 9 papers we reviewed, 6 of the interventions demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the primary measure of clinical outcome. Where the intervention comprised an app only, 3 studies demonstrated a statistically significant improvement. Interventions to address diabetes mellitus (5/9) were the most common, followed by chronic lung disease (3/9) and cardiovascular disease (1/9). A total of 3 studies included multiple intervention groups using permutations of an intervention involving an app. The duration of the intervention ranged from 6 weeks to 1 year, and

  4. Mobile phones as a health communication tool to improve skilled attendance at delivery in Zanzibar

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lund, S; Hemed, M; Nielsen, Bb

    2012-01-01

    Please cite this paper as: Lund S, Hemed M, Nielsen B, Said A, Said K, Makungu M, Rasch V. Mobile phones as a health communication tool to improve skilled attendance at delivery in Zanzibar: a cluster-randomised controlled trial. BJOG 2012; DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2012.03413.x. Objective......  To examine the association between a mobile phone intervention and skilled delivery attendance in a resource-limited setting. Design  Pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial with primary healthcare facilities as the unit of randomisation. Setting  Primary healthcare facilities in Zanzibar. Population...... for study participation. Methods  Twenty-four primary healthcare facilities in six districts in Zanzibar were allocated by simple randomisation to either mobile phone intervention (n = 12) or standard care (n = 12). The intervention consisted of a short messaging service (SMS) and mobile phone voucher...

  5. 21 CFR 1230.41 - Delivery of containers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Delivery of containers. 1230.41 Section 1230.41 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS UNDER CERTAIN OTHER ACTS ADMINISTERED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION REGULATIONS UNDER THE...

  6. A Multi-Modality Mobility Concept for a Small Package Delivery UAV

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, L. A.

    2017-01-01

    This paper will discuss a different approach to the typical notional small package delivery drone concept. Most delivery drone concepts employ a point-to-point aerial delivery CONOPS (Concept of Operations) from a warehouse directly to the front or back yards of a customers residence or a commercial office space. Instead, the proposed approach is somewhat analogous to current postal deliveries: a small aerial vehicle flies from a warehouse to designated neighborhood VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) landing spots where the aerial vehicle then converts to a "roadable" (ground-mobility) vehicle that then transits on sidewalks and/or bicycle paths till it arrives to the residence/office drop-off points. This concept and associated platform or vehicle will be referred in this paper as MICHAEL (Multimodal Intra-City Hauling and Aerial-Effected Logistics) concept. It is suggested that the MICHAEL concept potentially results in a more community friendly "delivery drone" approach.

  7. Examination of oral absorption and lymphatic transport of halofantrine in a triple-cannulated canine model after administration in self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) containing structured triglycerides

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holm, René; Porter, Christopher J H; Edwards, Glenn A

    2003-01-01

    The potential for lipidic self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) containing triglycerides with a defined structure, where the different fatty acids on the glycerol backbone exhibit different metabolic fate, to improve the lymphatic transport and the portal absorption of a poorly water......-soluble drug, halofantrine, were investigated in fasted lymph cannulated canines. Two different structured triglycerides were incorporated into the SMEDDS; 1,3-dioctanoyl-2-linoleyl-sn-glycerol (C8:0-C18:2-C8:0) (MLM) and 1,3-dilinoyl-2-octanoyl-sn-glycerol (C18:2-C8:0-C18:2) (LML). A previously optimised...... availability was affected by the triglyceride incorporated into the multi-component delivery system and availabilities of 56.9% (MLM) and 37.2% (LML) were found. These data indicate that the pharmaceutical scientist can use the structure of the lipid to affect the relative contribution of the two absorption...

  8. Random Linear Network Coding for 5G Mobile Video Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dejan Vukobratovic

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available An exponential increase in mobile video delivery will continue with the demand for higher resolution, multi-view and large-scale multicast video services. Novel fifth generation (5G 3GPP New Radio (NR standard will bring a number of new opportunities for optimizing video delivery across both 5G core and radio access networks. One of the promising approaches for video quality adaptation, throughput enhancement and erasure protection is the use of packet-level random linear network coding (RLNC. In this review paper, we discuss the integration of RLNC into the 5G NR standard, building upon the ideas and opportunities identified in 4G LTE. We explicitly identify and discuss in detail novel 5G NR features that provide support for RLNC-based video delivery in 5G, thus pointing out to the promising avenues for future research.

  9. Influence of Mobile Learning Training on Pre-Service Social Studies Teachers' Technology and Mobile Phone Self-Efficacies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gloria, Adedoja; Oluwadara, Abimbade

    2016-01-01

    Current instructional deliveries favour the use of mobile technology because of its inherent potentials and benefits such as portability, ease of use cost and others. Despite these benefits, many teachers especially in Sub-Saharan Africa still prefer the conventional method and use mobile phones for social engagements such as texting, chatting,…

  10. Delivery of workshops on mobility monitoring in small to medium-sized communities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-11-01

    This report summarizes the delivery and outcome of a series of workshops conducted in 13 cities across the : state on performing mobility monitoring in small to medium-sized communities. The workshops served as : implementation for research project 0...

  11. In Vitro Lipolysis Data Does Not Adequately Predict the In Vivo Performance of Lipid-Based Drug Delivery Systems Containing Fenofibrate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomas, Nicky; Richter, Katharina; Pedersen, Thomas B

    2014-01-01

    on identical self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) containing 200 mg of fenofibrate, either dissolved or suspended, were subjected to combined gastric (pH 2) and intestinal (pH 6.5) in vitro lipolysis. Based on the solubilization profiles and SRM the rank-order SNEDDS (75% drug load) > super...

  12. Design of inspection equipment vehicle of mobile cobalt-60 container scanner

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Yanmin; An Jigang; Zhou Liye; Liu Yisi; Wu Zhifang; Xiang Xincheng; Huang Songling

    2000-01-01

    The author introduced the design principle of Inspection Equipment Vehicle of TCM-SCAN Mobile 60 Co container inspection system. Three schemes had been compared. The scheme of scan gate in form of pucker-able rails standing on the vehicle was determined. Prototype was prepared in September 1999. Mobile 60 Co container inspection system had the same inspection performance of fixed 60 Co container inspection system

  13. Mobile phones as a health communication tool to improve skilled attendance at delivery in Zanzibar: a cluster-randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lund, S; Hemed, M; Nielsen, B B; Said, A; Said, K; Makungu, M H; Rasch, V

    2012-09-01

    To examine the association between a mobile phone intervention and skilled delivery attendance in a resource-limited setting. Pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial with primary healthcare facilities as the unit of randomisation. Primary healthcare facilities in Zanzibar. Two thousand, five hundred and fifty pregnant women (1311 interventions and 1239 controls) who attended antenatal care at one of the selected primary healthcare facilities were included at their first antenatal care visit and followed until 42 days after delivery. All pregnant women were eligible for study participation. Twenty-four primary healthcare facilities in six districts in Zanzibar were allocated by simple randomisation to either mobile phone intervention (n = 12) or standard care (n = 12). The intervention consisted of a short messaging service (SMS) and mobile phone voucher component. Skilled delivery attendance. The mobile phone intervention was associated with an increase in skilled delivery attendance: 60% of the women in the intervention group versus 47% in the control group delivered with skilled attendance. The intervention produced a significant increase in skilled delivery attendance amongst urban women (odds ratio, 5.73; 95% confidence interval, 1.51-21.81), but did not reach rural women. The mobile phone intervention significantly increased skilled delivery attendance amongst women of urban residence. Mobile phone solutions may contribute to the saving of lives of women and their newborns and the achievement of Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, and should be considered by maternal and child health policy makers in developing countries. © 2012 The Authors BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology © 2012 RCOG.

  14. Performance analysis of a self-locating mobile sensor

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bøgsted, Martin; Rasmussen, Jakob Gulddahl; Lundbye-Christensen, Søren

    to an autoregressive model. Measurement uncertainty is assumed to follow a Gaussian distribution and the probability for detecting a distance to a given sensor is assumed to fall off exponentially with squared distance. The combined model is formulated as a nonlinear state space model and Bayesian inference......We consider the ability of a mobile sensor to locate its own geographical location, the so-called self-localization problem. The need to locate people and objects has inspired the development of many systems for automatic localization. Most systems are based on location information and measured...... the performance of localization algorithms in mobile and critical situations. This is done by exploring the performance of various filtering techniques for self-localization of a mobile sensor in a field of sensors. More specifically, we model the mobility of the sensor such that the velocity varies according...

  15. Transcutol containing vesicles for topical delivery of minoxidil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mura, Simona; Manconi, Maria; Valenti, Donatella; Sinico, Chiara; Vila, Amparo Ofelia; Fadda, Anna Maria

    2011-04-01

    The aim of this work was to evaluate the ability of Transcutol (Trc) to produce elastic vesicles with soy lecithin (SL) and study the influence of the obtained vesicles on in vitro (trans)dermal delivery of minoxidil. To this purpose, so-called penetration enhancer-containing vesicles (PEVs) were prepared using Trc aqueous solutions (5-10-20-30% v/v) as hydrophilic phase. SL liposomes, without Trc, were used as control. Prepared formulations were characterized in terms of size distribution, morphology, zeta potential, deformability, and rheological behavior. The influence of the obtained PEVs on (trans)dermal delivery of minoxidil was studied by in vitro diffusion experiments through pig skin. Results showed that all prepared PEVs were able to give good entrapment efficiency (E%≈67) similar to that of conventional liposomes. Trc-containing PEVs showed to be more deformable than liposomes only when minoxidil was loaded in 5 and 10% Trc-containing vesicles. Rheological studies showed that PEVs have higher fluidity than conventional liposomes. All PEVs showed a higher stability than liposomes as shown by studying zeta potential and size distribution during three months. Results of in vitro diffusion experiments showed that Trc-containing PEVs are able to deliver minoxidil to deep skin layers without any transdermal permeation.

  16. Self-contained microfluidic systems: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyd-Moss, Mitchell; Baratchi, Sara; Di Venere, Martina; Khoshmanesh, Khashayar

    2016-08-16

    Microfluidic systems enable rapid diagnosis, screening and monitoring of diseases and health conditions using small amounts of biological samples and reagents. Despite these remarkable features, conventional microfluidic systems rely on bulky expensive external equipment, which hinders their utility as powerful analysis tools outside of research laboratories. 'Self-contained' microfluidic systems, which contain all necessary components to facilitate a complete assay, have been developed to address this limitation. In this review, we provide an in-depth overview of self-contained microfluidic systems. We categorise these systems based on their operating mechanisms into three major groups: passive, hand-powered and active. Several examples are provided to discuss the structure, capabilities and shortcomings of each group. In particular, we discuss the self-contained microfluidic systems enabled by active mechanisms, due to their unique capability for running multi-step and highly controllable diagnostic assays. Integration of self-contained microfluidic systems with the image acquisition and processing capabilities of smartphones, especially those equipped with accessory optical components, enables highly sensitive and quantitative assays, which are discussed. Finally, the future trends and possible solutions to expand the versatility of self-contained, stand-alone microfluidic platforms are outlined.

  17. Disease containment strategies based on mobility and information dissemination

    OpenAIRE

    Pejović, Veljko; Lima, Antonio; De Domenico, Manlio; Musolesi, Mirco

    2016-01-01

    Human mobility and social structure are at the basis of disease spreading. Disease containment strategies are usually devised from coarse-grained assumptions about human mobility. Cellular networks data, however, provides finer-grained information, not only about how people move, but also about how they communicate. In this paper we analyze the behavior of a large number of individuals in Ivory Coast using cellular network data. We model mobility and communication between individuals by means...

  18. Ovarian Mature Cystic Teratoma Containing Multiple Mobile

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cho, Hyun Sun; Yoon, Seong Eon; Lee, Young Hwan; Kim, Hye Won; Yoon, Kwon Ha [Wonkwang University Hospital, Iksan (Korea, Republic of); Park, Seong Hoon [Asan Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2006-12-15

    A 48-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a palpable mass in her lower abdomen. A left ovarian, cystic mass containing multiple mobile globules was seen on CT and MR images. The outer portion of the globules showed fat components on CT and fat-saturated T1-weighted MR images. Ultrasonography showed multiple echogenic, mobile globules with some sound attenuation and hyper echoic lines and dots within the cystic mass, which corresponded with the presence of lipid globules and hair shafts of ovarian mature cystic teratoma, respectively

  19. Ovarian Mature Cystic Teratoma Containing Multiple Mobile

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, Hyun Sun; Yoon, Seong Eon; Lee, Young Hwan; Kim, Hye Won; Yoon, Kwon Ha; Park, Seong Hoon

    2006-01-01

    A 48-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a palpable mass in her lower abdomen. A left ovarian, cystic mass containing multiple mobile globules was seen on CT and MR images. The outer portion of the globules showed fat components on CT and fat-saturated T1-weighted MR images. Ultrasonography showed multiple echogenic, mobile globules with some sound attenuation and hyper echoic lines and dots within the cystic mass, which corresponded with the presence of lipid globules and hair shafts of ovarian mature cystic teratoma, respectively

  20. Mobility Model for Self-Organizing and Cooperative MSN and MANET Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrzej Sikora

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Self-organization mechanisms are used for building scalable systems consisting of a huge number of subsystems. In computer networks, self-organizing is especially important in ad hoc networking. A self-organizing ad hoc network is a collection of wireless devices that collaborate with each other to form a network system that adapts to achieve a goal or goals. Such network is often built from mobile devices that may spontaneously create a network and dynamically adapted to changes in an unknown environment. Mobility pattern is a critical element that influences the performance characteristics of mobile sensor networks (MSN and mobile ad hoc networks (MANET. In this paper, we survey main directions to mobility modeling. We describe a novel algorithm for calculating mobility patterns for mobile devices that is based on a cluster formation and an artificial potential function. Finally, we present the simulation results of its application to a rescue mission planning.

  1. Development of an electronic medical report delivery system to 3G GSM mobile (cellular) phones for a medical imaging department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Eugene Y; Lee, Chiang; Cai, Weidong; Feng, Dagan; Fulham, Michael

    2007-01-01

    Medical practice is characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity in collaborative and cooperative patient care. Fast and effective communication between medical practitioners can improve patient care. In medical imaging, the fast delivery of medical reports to referring medical practitioners is a major component of cooperative patient care. Recently, mobile phones have been actively deployed in telemedicine applications. The mobile phone is an ideal medium to achieve faster delivery of reports to the referring medical practitioners. In this study, we developed an electronic medical report delivery system from a medical imaging department to the mobile phones of the referring doctors. The system extracts a text summary of medical report and a screen capture of diagnostic medical image in JPEG format, which are transmitted to 3G GSM mobile phones.

  2. Swiping, matching, chatting: Self-Presentation and self-disclosure on mobile dating apps

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    J.R. Ward (Janelle)

    2016-01-01

    markdownabstractPeople have long used rituals of self-presentation and self-disclosure when looking for a romantic connection, whether they seek a passionate love affair, a spouse or a casual encounter. Mobile dating applications like Tinder have exploded in popularity in recent years. On Tinder,

  3. Azobenzene-aminoglycoside: Self-assembled smart amphiphilic nanostructures for drug delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deka, Smriti Rekha; Yadav, Santosh; Mahato, Manohar; Sharma, Ashwani Kumar

    2015-11-01

    Here, we have designed and synthesized a novel cationic amphiphilic stimuli-responsive azobenzene-aminoglycoside (a small molecule) conjugate, Azo-AG 5, and characterized it by UV and FTIR. Light responsive nature of Azo-AG 5 was assessed under UV-vis light. Self- assembly of Azo-AG 5 in aqueous solutions into nanostructures and their ability to act as drug carrier were also investigated. The nanostructures of Azo-AG 5 showed average hydrodynamic diameter of ∼ 255 nm with aminoglycoside moiety (neomycin) and 4-dimethylaminoazobenzene forming hydrophilic shell and hydrophobic core, respectively. In the hydrophobic core, eosin and aspirin were successfully encapsulated. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements demonstrated that the nanoassemblies showed expansion and contraction on successive UV and visible light irradiations exhibiting reversible on-off switch for controlling the drug release behavior. Similar behavior was observed when these nanostructures were subjected to pH-change. In vitro drug release studies showed a difference in UV and visible light-mediated release pattern. It was observed that the release rate under UV irradiation was comparatively higher than that observed under visible light. Further, azoreductase-mediated cleavage of the azo moiety in Azo-AG 5 nanoassemblies resulted in the dismantling of the structures into aggregated microstructures. Azo-AG 5 nanostructures having positive surface charge (+9.74 mV) successfully interacted with pDNA and retarded its mobility on agarose gel. Stimuli responsiveness of nanostructures and their on-off switch like behavior ensure the great potential as controlled drug delivery systems and in other biomedical applications such as colon-specific delivery and gene delivery. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Mobile real time radiography system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vigil, J.; Taggart, D.; Betts, S. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)] [and others

    1997-11-01

    A 450-keV Mobile Real Time Radiography (RTR) System was delivered to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in January 1996. It was purchased to inspect containers of radioactive waste produced at (LANL). Since its delivery it has been used to radiograph more than 600 drums of radioactive waste at various LANL sites. It has the capability of inspecting waste containers of various sizes from <1-gal. buckets up to standard waste boxes (SWB, dimensions 54.5 in. x 71 in. x 37 in.). It has three independent x-ray acquisition formats. The primary system used is a 12- in. image intensifier, the second is a 36-in. linear diode array (LDA) and the last is an open system. It is fully self contained with on board generator, HVAC, and a fire suppression system. It is on a 53-ft long x 8-ft. wide x 14-ft. high trailer that can be moved over any highway requiring only an easily obtainable overweight permit because it weights {approximately}38 tons. It was built to conform to industry standards for a cabinet system which does not require an exclusion zone. The fact that this unit is mobile has allowed us to operate where the waste is stored, rather than having to move the waste to a fixed facility.

  5. Mobile real time radiography system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vigil, J.; Taggart, D.; Betts, S.

    1997-01-01

    A 450-keV Mobile Real Time Radiography (RTR) System was delivered to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in January 1996. It was purchased to inspect containers of radioactive waste produced at (LANL). Since its delivery it has been used to radiograph more than 600 drums of radioactive waste at various LANL sites. It has the capability of inspecting waste containers of various sizes from <1-gal. buckets up to standard waste boxes (SWB, dimensions 54.5 in. x 71 in. x 37 in.). It has three independent x-ray acquisition formats. The primary system used is a 12- in. image intensifier, the second is a 36-in. linear diode array (LDA) and the last is an open system. It is fully self contained with on board generator, HVAC, and a fire suppression system. It is on a 53-ft long x 8-ft. wide x 14-ft. high trailer that can be moved over any highway requiring only an easily obtainable overweight permit because it weights ∼38 tons. It was built to conform to industry standards for a cabinet system which does not require an exclusion zone. The fact that this unit is mobile has allowed us to operate where the waste is stored, rather than having to move the waste to a fixed facility

  6. Efficient Transdermal Delivery of Alendronate, a Nitrogen-Containing Bisphosphonate, Using Tip-Loaded Self-Dissolving Microneedle Arrays for the Treatment of Osteoporosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katsumi, Hidemasa; Tanaka, Yutaro; Hitomi, Kaori; Liu, Shu; Quan, Ying-Shu; Kamiyama, Fumio; Sakane, Toshiyasu; Yamamoto, Akira

    2017-08-17

    To improve the transdermal bioavailability and safety of alendronate (ALN), a nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate, we developed self-dissolving microneedle arrays (MNs), in which ALN is loaded only at the tip portion of micron-scale needles by a dip-coating method (ALN(TIP)-MN). We observed micron-scale pores in rat skin just after application of ALN(TIP)-MN, indicating that transdermal pathways for ALN were created by MN. ALN was rapidly released from the tip of MNs as observed in an in vitro release study. The tip portions of MNs completely dissolved in the rat skin within 5 min after application in vivo. After application of ALN(TIP)-MN in mice, the plasma concentration of ALN rapidly increased, and the bioavailability of ALN was approximately 96%. In addition, the decrease in growth plate was effectively suppressed by this efficient delivery of ALN in a rat model of osteoporosis. Furthermore, no skin irritation was observed after application of ALN(TIP)-MN and subcutaneous injection of ALN, while mild skin irritation was induced by whole-ALN-loaded MN (ALN-MN)-in which ALN is contained in the whole of the micron-scale needles fabricated from hyaluronic acid-and intradermal injection of ALN. These findings indicate that ALN(TIP)-MN is a promising transdermal formulation for the treatment of osteoporosis without skin irritation.

  7. 16 CFR 1500.130 - Self-pressurized containers: labeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Self-pressurized containers: labeling. 1500... § 1500.130 Self-pressurized containers: labeling. (a) Self-pressurized containers that fail to bear a...: warning—contents under pressure Do not puncture or incinerate container. Do not expose to heat or store at...

  8. Prevalence of Mobile Phone Dependency and its Relationship with Students’ Self Esteem

    OpenAIRE

    Tayebeh Khazaee; AliReza Saadatjoo; Majid Shabani; Mohammad Senobari; Mohsen Baziyan

    2014-01-01

    Introduction: Dependence on mobile phone is a serious problem for work and social life of individuals. People with low self-esteem, have problematic mobile phone use. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of mobile dependency and its relationship with self-esteem of students. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 697 students were chosen through systemic random sampling method. Data collection tools included 10-item rosenberg self-esteem questionnaire with four-point Lik...

  9. Rapid delivery of small interfering RNA by biosurfactant MEL-A-containing liposomes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inoh, Yoshikazu; Furuno, Tadahide; Hirashima, Naohide; Kitamoto, Dai; Nakanishi, Mamoru

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: ► We use MEL-A-containing cationic liposomes for siRNA delivery. ► MEL-A-containing cationic liposomes can efficiently and rapidly deliver siRNA into the cytoplasm. ► Rapid delivery of siRNA is due to the membrane fusion between liposomes and plasma membrane. -- Abstract: The downregulation of gene expression by RNA interference holds great potential for genetic analysis and gene therapy. However, a more efficient delivery system for small interfering RNA (siRNA) into the target cells is required for wide fields such as cell biology, physiology, and clinical application. Non-viral vectors are stronger candidates than viral vectors because they are safer and easier to prepare. We have previously used a new method for gene transfection by combining cationic liposomes with the biosurfactant mannosylerythritol lipid-A (MEL-A). The novel MEL-A-containing cationic liposomes rapidly delivered DNA (plasmids and oligonucleotides) into the cytosol and nucleus through membrane fusion between liposomes and the plasma membrane, and consequently, enhanced the gene transfection efficiency. In this study, we determined the efficiency of MEL-A-containing cationic liposomes for siRNA delivery. We observed that exogenous and endogenous protein expression was suppressed by approximately 60% at 24 h after brief (30 min) incubation of target cells with MEL-A-containing cationic liposome/siRNA complexes. Confocal microscopic analysis showed that suppression of protein expression was caused by rapid siRNA delivery into the cytosol. We found that the MEL-A-containing cationic liposomes directly delivered siRNA into the cytoplasm by the membrane fusion in addition to endocytotic pathway whereas Lipofectamine™ RNAiMax delivered siRNA only by the endocytotic pathway. It seems that the ability to rapidly and directly deliver siRNA into the cytosol using MEL-A-containing cationic liposomes is able to reduce immune responses, cytotoxicity, and other side effects caused by

  10. Los Alamos National Laboratory's Mobile Real Time Radiography System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vigil, J.; Taggart, D.; Betts, S.; Mendez, J.; Rael, C.; Martinez, F.

    1997-01-01

    A 450-KeV Mobile Real Time Radiography (RTR) System was delivered to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in January 1996. It was purchased to inspect containers of radioactive waste produced at (LANL). Since its delivery it has been used to radiograph greater than 600 drums of radioactive waste at various LANL sites. It has the capability of inspecting waste containers of various sizes. It has three independent X-Ray acquisition formats. The primary system used is a 12 in. image intensifier, the second is a 36 in. linear diode array (LDA) and the last is an open system. It is fully self contained with on board generator, HVAC and a fire suppression system. It is on a 53 ft long X 8 ft. wide X 14 ft. high trailer that can be moved over any highway requiring only a easily obtainable overweight permit because it weighs approximately 38 tons. It was built to conform to industry standards for a cabinet system which does not require an exclusion zone. The fact that this unit is mobile has allowed us to operate where the waste is stored, rather than having to move the waste to a fixed facility

  11. Self-folding micropatterned polymeric containers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azam, Anum; Laflin, Kate E; Jamal, Mustapha; Fernandes, Rohan; Gracias, David H

    2011-02-01

    We demonstrate self-folding of precisely patterned, optically transparent, all-polymeric containers and describe their utility in mammalian cell and microorganism encapsulation and culture. The polyhedral containers, with SU-8 faces and biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) hinges, spontaneously assembled on heating. Self-folding was driven by a minimization of surface area of the liquefying PCL hinges within lithographically patterned two-dimensional (2D) templates. The strategy allowed for the fabrication of containers with variable polyhedral shapes, sizes and precisely defined porosities in all three dimensions. We provide proof-of-concept for the use of these polymeric containers as encapsulants for beads, chemicals, mammalian cells and bacteria. We also compare accelerated hinge degradation rates in alkaline solutions of varying pH. These optically transparent containers resemble three-dimensional (3D) micro-Petri dishes and can be utilized to sustain, monitor and deliver living biological components.

  12. Explosion of mobile and wireless technologies – An opportunities for mobile government to speed up service deliveries: A South African perspective

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Ogunleye, OS

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available to catalyze government effort for rapid service deliveries. He concludes by highlighting the lack of research on mobile technologies in the social science, and the need to rapidly expand efforts in this research area....

  13. QoE-Driven Energy-Aware Multipath Content Delivery Approach for MPTCP-Based Mobile Phones

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Yuanlong Cao; Shengyang Chen; Qinghua Liu; Yi Zuo; Hao Wang; Minghe Huang

    2017-01-01

    Mobile phones equipped with multiple wireless interfaces can increase their goodput performance by making use of concurrent transmissions over multiple paths,enabled by the Multipath TCP (MPTCP).However,utilizing MPTCP for data delivery may generally result in higher energy consumption,while the battery power of a mobile phone is limited.Thus,how to optimize the energy usage becomes very crucial and urgent.In this paper,we propose MPTCP-QE,a novel quality of experience (QoE)-driven energy-aware multipath content delivery approach for MPTCP-based mobile phones.The main idea of MPTCP-QE is described as follows:it first provides an application rate-aware energy-efficient subflow management strategy to tradeoff throughput performance and energy consumption for mobile phones;then uses an available bandwidth-aware congestion window fast recovery strategy to make a sender avoid unnecessary slow-start and utilize wireless resource quickly;and further introduces a novel receiver-driven energy-efficient SACK strategy to help a receiver possible to detect SACK loss timely and trigger loss recovery in a more energy-efficient way.The simulation results show that with the MPTCP-QE,the energy usage is enhanced while the performance level is maintained compared to existing MPTCP solutions.

  14. Self-management of self-organising mobile computing applications : a separation of concerns approach

    OpenAIRE

    Fernandez Marquez, Jose Luis; di Marzo Serugendo, Giovanna; Stevenson, Graeme Turnbull; Ye, Juan; Dobson, Simon Andrew; Zamonelli, Franco

    2014-01-01

    Although the research area of self-organising systems is well established, their construction is often ad hoc. Consequently, such software is difficult reuse across applications that require similar functionality of have similar goals. The development of self-organising applications and, a fortiori, self-organising mobile applications is therefore limited to developers who are experts in specific self-organising mechanisms. As a first step towards addressing this, this paper discusses the not...

  15. Customer satisfaction of mobile telecommunication networks in Ghana: service delivery perspective

    OpenAIRE

    A.R. ABDUL-AZIZ; Bashiru I.I. SAEED; Ayogyam ALEXANDER

    2014-01-01

    Organizations, both private and public, in today’s dynamic marketplaces are increasingly leaving antiquated marketing philosophies and strategies to the adoption of more customer driven initiatives that seek to understand, attract, retain and build intimate long term relationship with profitable customers. This article analyzed customer satisfaction with the service delivery of mobile telecommunication networks in Ghana using a binary logistic regression model. Primary data was collected thro...

  16. Content Analysis of Diet-Related Mobile Apps: A Self-Regulation Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zahry, Nagwan R; Cheng, Ying; Peng, Wei

    2016-10-01

    Diet-related mobile apps hold promise in helping individuals self-regulate their eating behaviors. Nevertheless, little is known about the extent to which diet-related mobile apps incorporate the established behavior change theories and evidence-based practices that promote dietary self-regulation. Guided by the self-regulation aspect of Bandura's social cognitive theory and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, this study conducts a content analysis of diet-related mobile apps for iPhone (N = 400). In terms of the adherence to the self-regulation aspect of the social cognitive theory, results show that although 72.5% of the apps incorporate at least one theoretical construct, few apps tap all three processes of self-regulation (i.e., self-observation/monitoring, judgment process, and self-reaction). Additionally, outcome expectation is manifested in a majority of the diet-related apps. In terms of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, while the diet-related apps equally emphasize setting goals for calorie intake or nutrient consumption, more apps feature nutrient tracking than calorie tracking. Implications and limitations are discussed.

  17. Women's self-perception and self-care practice: implications for health care delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendias, E P; Clark, M C; Guevara, E B

    2001-01-01

    Mexican American women experience unique health care needs related to integration of Mexican and American cultures. To learn how to better promote self-care practices and service utilization in women of Mexican origin living in Texas, researchers used a qualitative approach to interview a convenience sample of 11 low-income women attending a health clinic. Researchers collected narrative data about the women's perceptions of health, wellness, and self-care. Using the matrix approach described by Miles and Huberman, we organized findings around women's roles, including participants' descriptions of themselves, their health and wellness awareness, self-care practices for health/illness and wellness/nonwellness, barriers to self-care, origin of self-care practices, and perceptions of life control. Implications for health planning and service delivery are presented.

  18. Solidified self-nanoemulsifying formulation for oral delivery of combinatorial therapeutic regimen

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jain, Amit K; Thanki, Kaushik; Jain, Sanyog

    2014-01-01

    PURPOSE: The present work reports rationalized development and characterization of solidified self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system for oral delivery of combinatorial (tamoxifen and quercetin) therapeutic regimen. METHODS: Suitable oil for the preparation of liquid SNEDDS was selected based...

  19. Autonomous self-navigating drug-delivery vehicles: from science fiction to reality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrenko, Valery A

    2017-12-01

    Low efficacy of targeted nanomedicines in biological experiments enforced us to challenge the traditional concept of drug targeting and suggest a paradigm of 'addressed self-navigating drug-delivery vehicles,' in which affinity selection of targeting peptides and vasculature-directed in vivo phage screening is replaced by the migration selection, which explores ability of 'promiscuous' phages and their proteins to migrate through the tumor-surrounding cellular barriers, using a 'hub and spoke' delivery strategy, and penetrate into the tumor affecting the diverse tumor cell population. The 'self-navigating' drug-delivery paradigm can be used as a theoretical and technical platform in design of a novel generation of molecular medications and imaging probes for precise and personal medicine. [Formula: see text].

  20. An international prospective cohort study of mobile phone users and health (COSMOS): Factors affecting validity of self-reported mobile phone use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toledano, Mireille B; Auvinen, Anssi; Tettamanti, Giorgio; Cao, Yang; Feychting, Maria; Ahlbom, Anders; Fremling, Karin; Heinävaara, Sirpa; Kojo, Katja; Knowles, Gemma; Smith, Rachel B; Schüz, Joachim; Johansen, Christoffer; Poulsen, Aslak Harbo; Deltour, Isabelle; Vermeulen, Roel; Kromhout, Hans; Elliott, Paul; Hillert, Lena

    2018-01-01

    This study investigates validity of self-reported mobile phone use in a subset of 75 993 adults from the COSMOS cohort study. Agreement between self-reported and operator-derived mobile call frequency and duration for a 3-month period was assessed using Cohen's weighted Kappa (κ). Sensitivity and specificity of both self-reported high (≥10 calls/day or ≥4h/week) and low (≤6 calls/week or phone use were calculated, as compared to operator data. For users of one mobile phone, agreement was fair for call frequency (κ=0.35, 95% CI: 0.35, 0.36) and moderate for call duration (κ=0.50, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.50). Self-reported low call frequency and duration demonstrated high sensitivity (87% and 76% respectively), but for high call frequency and duration sensitivity was lower (38% and 56% respectively), reflecting a tendency for greater underestimation than overestimation. Validity of self-reported mobile phone use was lower in women, younger age groups and those reporting symptoms during/shortly after using a mobile phone. This study highlights the ongoing value of using self-report data to measure mobile phone use. Furthermore, compared to continuous scale estimates used by previous studies, categorical response options used in COSMOS appear to improve validity considerably, most likely by preventing unrealistically high estimates from being reported. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  1. Solar energy for self-contained power supply

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zholobov Maxim

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Solar energy relevance in self-contained utility system as well as economic feasibility for each class of consumers considered. The article will outline utilising features of self-contained photovoltaic stations in Middle East and Northern Africa.

  2. Use of Computer and Mobile Technologies in the Treatment of Depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Callan, Judith A; Wright, Jesse; Siegle, Greg J; Howland, Robert H; Kepler, Britney B

    2017-06-01

    Major depression (MDD) is a common and disabling disorder. Research has shown that most people with MDD receive either no treatment or inadequate treatment. Computer and mobile technologies may offer solutions for the delivery of therapies to untreated or inadequately treated individuals with MDD. The authors review currently available technologies and research aimed at relieving symptoms of MDD. These technologies include computer-assisted cognitive-behavior therapy (CCBT), web-based self-help, Internet self-help support groups, mobile psychotherapeutic interventions (i.e., mobile applications or apps), technology enhanced exercise, and biosensing technology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Self-Employment Dynamics, State Dependence and Cross-Mobility Patterns

    OpenAIRE

    Caliendo, Marco; Uhlendorff, Arne

    2008-01-01

    This paper analyzes the mobility between self-employment, wage employment and non-employment. Using data for men in West Germany, we find strong true state dependence in all three states. Moreover, compared to wage employment, non-employment increases the probability of self-employment significantly, and self-employment goes along with a higher risk of future non-employment.

  4. Transdermal solid delivery of epigallocatechin-3-gallate using self-double-emulsifying drug delivery system as vehicle: Formulation, evaluation and vesicle-skin interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Caibiao; Gu, Chengyu; Fang, Qiao; Wang, Qiang; Xia, Qiang

    2016-02-01

    The present study investigated a self-double-emulsifying drug delivery system loaded with epigallocatechin-3-gallate to improve epigallocatechin-3-gallate skin retention. The long chain solid lipids (cetostearyl alcohol) and macadamia oil were utilized as a carrier to deliver the bioactive ingredient. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the formulation, and the solid lipid to total lipid weight ratio, concentration of epigallocatechin-3-gallate and hydrophilic surfactant on skin retention were found to be the principal factors. The optimum formulation with high encapsulation efficiency (95.75%), self-double-emulsification performance (99.58%) and skin retention (87.24%) were derived from the fitted models and experimentally examined, demonstrating a reasonable agreement between experimental and predicted values. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate-self-double-emulsifying drug delivery system was found to be stable for 3 months. Transdermal studies could explain a higher skin diffusion of epigallocatechin-3-gallate from the self-double-emulsifying drug delivery system compared with EGCG aqueous solution. In vitro cytotoxicity showed that epigallocatechin-3-gallate-self-double-emulsifying drug delivery system did not exert hazardous effect on L929 cells up to 1:10. © The Author(s) 2015.

  5. Leveraging socially networked mobile ICT platforms for the last-mile delivery problem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suh, Kyo; Smith, Timothy; Linhoff, Michelle

    2012-09-04

    Increasing numbers of people are managing their social networks on mobile information and communication technology (ICT) platforms. This study materializes these social relationships by leveraging spatial and networked information for sharing excess capacity to reduce the environmental impacts associated with "last-mile" package delivery systems from online purchases, particularly in low population density settings. Alternative package pickup location systems (PLS), such as a kiosk on a public transit platform or in a grocery store, have been suggested as effective strategies for reducing package travel miles and greenhouse gas emissions, compared to current door-to-door delivery models (CDS). However, our results suggest that a pickup location delivery system operating in a suburban setting may actually increase travel miles and emissions. Only once a social network is employed to assist in package pickup (SPLS) are significant reductions in the last-mile delivery distance and carbon emissions observed across both urban and suburban settings. Implications for logistics management's decades-long focus on improving efficiencies of dedicated distribution systems through specialization, as well as for public policy targeting carbon emissions of the transport sector are discussed.

  6. Dynamic Symmetric Key Mobile Commerce Scheme Based on Self-Verified Mechanism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiachen Yang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In terms of the security and efficiency of mobile e-commerce, the authors summarized the advantages and disadvantages of several related schemes, especially the self-verified mobile payment scheme based on the elliptic curve cryptosystem (ECC and then proposed a new type of dynamic symmetric key mobile commerce scheme based on self-verified mechanism. The authors analyzed the basic algorithm based on self-verified mechanisms and detailed the complete transaction process of the proposed scheme. The authors analyzed the payment scheme based on the security and high efficiency index. The analysis shows that the proposed scheme not only meets the high efficiency of mobile electronic payment premise, but also takes the security into account. The user confirmation mechanism at the end of the proposed scheme further strengthens the security of the proposed scheme. In brief, the proposed scheme is more efficient and practical than most of the existing schemes.

  7. Chitosan Based Self-Assembled Nanoparticles in Drug Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Javier Pérez Quiñones

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Chitosan is a cationic polysaccharide that is usually obtained by alkaline deacetylation of chitin poly(N-acetylglucosamine. It is biocompatible, biodegradable, mucoadhesive, and non-toxic. These excellent biological properties make chitosan a good candidate for a platform in developing drug delivery systems having improved biodistribution, increased specificity and sensitivity, and reduced pharmacological toxicity. In particular, chitosan nanoparticles are found to be appropriate for non-invasive routes of drug administration: oral, nasal, pulmonary and ocular routes. These applications are facilitated by the absorption-enhancing effect of chitosan. Many procedures for obtaining chitosan nanoparticles have been proposed. Particularly, the introduction of hydrophobic moieties into chitosan molecules by grafting to generate a hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance promoting self-assembly is a current and appealing approach. The grafting agent can be a hydrophobic moiety forming micelles that can entrap lipophilic drugs or it can be the drug itself. Another suitable way to generate self-assembled chitosan nanoparticles is through the formation of polyelectrolyte complexes with polyanions. This paper reviews the main approaches for preparing chitosan nanoparticles by self-assembly through both procedures, and illustrates the state of the art of their application in drug delivery.

  8. A review of mobile apps for epilepsy self-management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escoffery, Cam; McGee, Robin; Bidwell, Jonathan; Sims, Christopher; Thropp, Eliana Kovitch; Frazier, Cherise; Mynatt, Elizabeth D

    2018-04-01

    Mobile health app developers increasingly are interested in supporting the daily self-care of people with chronic conditions. The purpose of this study was to review mobile applications (apps) to promote epilepsy self-management. It investigates the following: 1) the available mobile apps for epilepsy, 2) how these apps support patient education and self-management (SM), and 3) their usefulness in supporting management of epilepsy. We conducted the review in Fall 2017 and assessed apps on the Apple App Store that related to the terms "epilepsy" and "seizure". Inclusion criteria included apps (adult and pediatric) that, as follows, were: 1) developed for patients or the community; 2) made available in English, and 3) less than $5.00. Exclusion criteria included apps that were designed for dissemination of publications, focused on healthcare providers, or were available in other languages. The search resulted in 149 apps, of which 20 met the selection criteria. A team reviewed each app in terms of three sets of criteria: 1) epilepsy-specific descriptions and SM categories employed by the apps and 2) Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) subdomain scores for reviewing engagement, functionality, esthetics, and information; and 3) behavioral change techniques. Most apps were for adults and free. Common SM domains for the apps were treatment, seizure tracking, response, and safety. A number of epilepsy apps existed, but many offered similar functionalities and incorporated few SM domains. The findings underline the need for mobile apps to cover broader domains of SM and behavioral change techniques and to be evaluated for outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Integrating visual dietary documentation in mobile-phone-based self-management application for adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frøisland, Dag Helge; Årsand, Eirik

    2015-05-01

    The goal of modern diabetes treatment is to a large extent focused on self-management to achieve and maintain a healthy, low HbA1c. Despite all new technical diabetes tools and support, including advanced blood glucose meters and insulin delivery systems, diabetes patients still struggle to achieve international treatment goals, that is, HbA1c mobile-phone-based tool to capture and visualize adolescents' food intake. Our aim was to affect understanding of carbohydrate counting and also to facilitate doctor-adolescent communication with regard to daily treatment. Furthermore, we wanted to evaluate the effect of the designed tool with regard to empowerment, self-efficacy, and self-treatment. The study concludes that implementing a visualization tool is an important contribution for young people to understand the basics of diabetes and to empower young people to define their treatment challenges. By capturing a picture of their own food, the person's own feeling of being in charge can be affected and better self-treatment achieved. © 2015 Diabetes Technology Society.

  10. Evaluating time between birth to cry or bag and mask ventilation using mobile delivery room timers in India: the NICHD Global Network's Helping Babies Breathe Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Somannavar, Manjunath S; Goudar, Shivaprasad S; Revankar, Amit P; Moore, Janet L; McClure, Elizabeth M; Destefanis, Pablo; DeCain, Martha; Goco, Norman; Wright, Linda L

    2015-08-06

    The Golden Minute®, the first minute following birth of a newborn, is a critical period for establishing ventilation after delivery, as emphasized in the Helping Babies Breathe® and other resuscitation training programs. Previous studies have reinforced training through observers' evaluation of this time period; although observation is useful for research, it may not be a sustainable method to support resuscitation practice in low-resource settings where few birth attendants are available. In order to reinforce resuscitation within The Golden Minute®, we sought to develop a simple mobile delivery-room timer on an Android cell phone platform for birth attendants to use at the time of delivery. We developed and evaluated a mobile delivery room timer to document the time interval from birth to the initiation of newborn crying/spontaneous respiration or bag and mask ventilation in a convenience sample of women who delivered in five hospitals in Karnataka, India. The mobile delivery room timer is an Android cell phone-based application that recorded key events including crowning, delivery, and crying/spontaneous respiration or bag and mask ventilation. The mobile delivery room timer recorded the birth attendant verbally indicating the time of crowning, birth-(defined as when the entire baby was delivered), crying/spontaneous respiration or bag and mask ventilation. The mobile delivery room timer results were validated in a subsample by a trained observer (nurse) who independently recorded the time between delivery and initiation of crying/spontaneous respiration or bag and mask ventilation. Of the total 4,597 deliveries, 2,107 (46%) were timed; a sample (n = 438) of these deliveries was also observed by a trained nurse. There was high concordance between the mobile delivery room timer and observed time elapsed between birth and crying/spontaneous respiration or ventilation (correlation =0.94, p cried/breathed spontaneously or received bag and mask ventilation by 1

  11. Examination of oral absorption and lymphatic transport of halofantrine in a triple-cannulated canine model after administration in self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) containing structured triglycerides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holm, René; Porter, Christopher J H; Edwards, Glenn A; Müllertz, Anette; Kristensen, Henning G; Charman, William N

    2003-09-01

    The potential for lipidic self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) containing triglycerides with a defined structure, where the different fatty acids on the glycerol backbone exhibit different metabolic fate, to improve the lymphatic transport and the portal absorption of a poorly water-soluble drug, halofantrine, were investigated in fasted lymph cannulated canines. Two different structured triglycerides were incorporated into the SMEDDS; 1,3-dioctanoyl-2-linoleyl-sn-glycerol (C8:0-C18:2-C8:0) (MLM) and 1,3-dilinoyl-2-octanoyl-sn-glycerol (C18:2-C8:0-C18:2) (LML). A previously optimised SMEDDS formulation for halofantrine, comprising of triglyceride, Cremophor EL, Maisine 35-1 and ethanol was selected for bioavailability assessment. The extent of lymphatic transport via the thoracic duct was 17.9% of the dose for the animals dosed with the MLM SMEDDS and 27.4% for LML. Also the plasma availability was affected by the triglyceride incorporated into the multi-component delivery system and availabilities of 56.9% (MLM) and 37.2% (LML) were found. These data indicate that the pharmaceutical scientist can use the structure of the lipid to affect the relative contribution of the two absorption pathways. The MLM formulation produced a total bioavailability of 74.9%, which is higher than the total absorption previously observed after post-prandial administration. This could indicate the utility of disperse lipid-base formulations based on structured triglycerides for the oral delivery of halofantrine, and potentially other lipophilic drugs.

  12. Self-deployable mobile sensor networks for on-demand surveillance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miao, Lidan; Qi, Hairong; Wang, Feiyi

    2005-05-01

    This paper studies two interconnected problems in mobile sensor network deployment, the optimal placement of heterogeneous mobile sensor platforms for cost-efficient and reliable coverage purposes, and the self-organizable deployment. We first develop an optimal placement algorithm based on a "mosaicked technology" such that different types of mobile sensors form a mosaicked pattern uniquely determined by the popularity of different types of sensor nodes. The initial state is assumed to be random. In order to converge to the optimal state, we investigate the swarm intelligence (SI)-based sensor movement strategy, through which the randomly deployed sensors can self-organize themselves to reach the optimal placement state. The proposed algorithm is compared with the random movement and the centralized method using performance metrics such as network coverage, convergence time, and energy consumption. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the mosaic placement and the SI-based movement.

  13. Mobile heat storage containers and their transport by rail or road

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goldenberg, Philipp

    2013-10-15

    Mobile heat storage containers are capable of making a contribution to the meaningful use of energy which is needed for use at a location other than where it originates. The study presented in this report outlines the technology of mobile heat storage and analyses an example of its transport by rail or road. (orig.)

  14. White matter volume mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and mobility in older women

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagamatsu, Lindsay S.; Hsu, Chun Liang; Davis, Jennifer C.; Best, John R.; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa

    2017-01-01

    Background With our aging population, understanding determinants of healthy aging is a priority. One essential component of healthy aging is mobility. While self-efficacy can directly impact mobility in older adults, it is unknown what role brain health may play in this relationship. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional pilot analysis of community-dwelling women (n = 80, mean age = 69 years) to examine whether brain volume mediates the relationship between falls-related self-efficacy, as measured by the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale, and mobility, as measured by the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Age, depression, education, functional comorbidities, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were included in the model as covariates. Results We report that total white matter volume, specifically, significantly mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and mobility, where higher self-efficacy was associated with greater white matter volume (r=0.28), which in turn, was associated with better mobility (r=−0.30). Conclusions Our pilot study extends our understanding of the psychosocial and neurological factors that contribute to mobility, and provides insight into effective strategies that may be used to improve functional independence among older adults. Future prospective and intervention studies are required to further elucidate the nature of the relationship between self-efficacy, mobility, and brain health. PMID:27749206

  15. Sociable mobile robots through self-maintained energy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ngo, Trung Dung; Schiøler, Henrik

    2006-01-01

    society, collecting and sharing are experimentally recognized as the highest property. This paper issues an approach to sociable robots using self-maintained energy in robot society, which is naturally inspired from swarm behavior of honey-bee and ant. Typically, autonomous mobile robots are usually......Research of sociable robots has emphasized interaction and coordination of mobile robots with inspiration from natural behavior of birds, insects, and fish: flocking, foraging, collecting, sharing and so forth. However, the animal behaviors are looking for food towards survival. In an animal...... equipped with a finite energy, thus they can operate in a finite time. To overcome the limitation, we describe practical deployment of a group of mobile robot with the possibility of carrying and exchanging fuel, e.g. battery to other robots. Early implementation that includes modular hardware and control...

  16. Relational mobility explains between- and within-culture differences in self-disclosure to close friends.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schug, Joanna; Yuki, Masaki; Maddux, William

    2010-10-01

    In the current research, we tested a novel explanation for previously demonstrated findings that East Asians disclose less personal information to other people than do Westerners. We propose that both between- and within-culture differences in self-disclosure to close friends may be explained by the construct of relational mobility, the general degree to which individuals in a society have opportunities to form new relationships and terminate old ones. In Study 1, we found that cross-cultural differences (Japan vs. United States) in self-disclosure to a close friend were mediated by individuals' perceptions of relational mobility. In Study 2, two separate measures of relational mobility predicted self-disclosure within a single culture (Japan), and this relationship was mediated by the motivation to engage in self-disclosure to strengthen personal relationships. We conclude that societies and social contexts higher in relational mobility (in which relationships can be formed and dissolved relatively easily) produce stronger incentives for self-disclosure as a social-commitment device.

  17. Enhancing self-care, adjustment and engagement through mobile phones in youth with HIV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    John, M E; Samson-Akpan, P E; Etowa, J B; Akpabio, I I; John, E E

    2016-12-01

    To evaluate the effectiveness of mobile phones in enhancing self-care, adjustment and engagement in non-disclosed youth living with HIV. Youth aged 15-24 years represent 42% of new HIV infections globally. Youth who are aware of their HIV status generally do not disclose it or utilize HIV-related facilities because of fear of stigma. They rely on the Internet for health maintenance information and access formal care only when immune-compromised and in crisis. This study shows how non-disclosed youth living with HIV can be reached and engaged for self-management and adjustment through mobile phone. One-group pre-test/post-test experimental design was used. Mobile phones were used to give information, motivation and counselling to 19 purposively recruited non-disclosed youth with HIV in Calabar, South-South Nigeria. Psychological adjustment scale, modified self-care capacity scale and patient activation measure were used to collect data. Data were analysed using PASW 18.0. Scores on self-care capacity, psychological adjustment and engagement increased significantly at post-test. HIV-related visits to health facilities did not improve significantly even at 6 months. Participants still preferred to consult healthcare providers for counselling through mobile phone. Mobile phone-based interventions are low cost, convenient, ensure privacy and are suitable for youth. Such remote health counselling enhances self-management and positive living. Mobile phones enhance self-care, psychological adjustment and engagement in non-disclosed youth living with HIV, and can be used to increase care coverage. Findings underline the importance of policies to increase access by locating, counselling and engaging HIV-infected youth in care. © 2016 International Council of Nurses.

  18. Disease Containment Strategies based on Mobility and Information Dissemination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lima, A; De Domenico, M; Pejovic, V; Musolesi, M

    2015-06-02

    Human mobility and social structure are at the basis of disease spreading. Disease containment strategies are usually devised from coarse-grained assumptions about human mobility. Cellular networks data, however, provides finer-grained information, not only about how people move, but also about how they communicate. In this paper we analyze the behavior of a large number of individuals in Ivory Coast using cellular network data. We model mobility and communication between individuals by means of an interconnected multiplex structure where each node represents the population in a geographic area (i.e., a sous-préfecture, a third-level administrative region). We present a model that describes how diseases circulate around the country as people move between regions. We extend the model with a concurrent process of relevant information spreading. This process corresponds to people disseminating disease prevention information, e.g., hygiene practices, vaccination campaign notices and other, within their social network. Thus, this process interferes with the epidemic. We then evaluate how restricting the mobility or using preventive information spreading process affects the epidemic. We find that restricting mobility does not delay the occurrence of an endemic state and that an information campaign might be an effective countermeasure.

  19. Mobile Apps for Self-Injury: A Content Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vieira, Aaron M; Lewis, Stephen P

    2018-05-01

    A growing body of research points to the salience of the Internet and mobile material among individuals who self-injure. However, to date, no research has investigated the mobile apps related to nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Such information would clarify which apps may be useful for those who self-injure while highlighting whether app-related content warrants improvement. The current study examined the content and usability of NSSI apps available on the two largest app-related platforms (Google Play and iTunes). Using content analysis, apps were examined regarding their content (e.g., presence of NSSI myths and types of coping strategies) as well as usability (e.g., app performance). Results indicate that NSSI apps have varied content, with few developed by, or affiliated with, a trusted source (e.g., university). NSSI apps tend to not propagate NSSI myths that vary with respect to the quality of coping strategies offered. They also tend to be rated favorably in terms of their usability. Overall, the present findings add to the NSSI literature and highlight several implications and avenues for future work, which are discussed.

  20. Total recall in the SCAMP cohort: Validation of self-reported mobile phone use in the smartphone era.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mireku, Michael O; Mueller, William; Fleming, Charlotte; Chang, Irene; Dumontheil, Iroise; Thomas, Michael S C; Eeftens, Marloes; Elliott, Paul; Röösli, Martin; Toledano, Mireille B

    2018-02-01

    Mobile phone use, predominantly smartphones, is almost ubiquitous amongst both adults and children. However adults and children have different usage patterns. A major challenge with research on mobile phone use is the reliability of self-reported phone activity for accurate exposure assessment. We investigated the agreement between self-reported mobile phone use data and objective mobile operator traffic data in a subset of adolescents aged 11-12 years participating in the Study of Cognition, Adolescents and Mobile Phones (SCAMP) cohort. We examined self-reported mobile phone use, including call frequency, cumulative call time duration and text messages sent among adolescents from SCAMP and matched these data with records provided by mobile network operators (n = 350). The extent of agreement between self-reported mobile phone use and mobile operator traffic data use was evaluated using Cohen's weighted Kappa (ĸ) statistics. Sensitivity and specificity of self-reported low ( 30min of call/day or ≥ 11 text messages sent /day) use were estimated. Agreement between self-reported mobile phone use and mobile operator traffic data was highest for the duration spent talking on mobile phones per day on weekdays (38.9%) and weekends (29.4%) compared to frequency of calls and number of text messages sent. Adolescents overestimated their mobile phone use during weekends compared to weekdays. Analysis of agreement showed little difference overall between the sexes and socio-economic groups. Weighted kappa between self-reported and mobile operator traffic data for call frequency during weekdays was κ = 0.12, 95% CI 0.06-0.18. Of the three modes of mobile phone use measured in the questionnaire, call frequency was the most sensitive for low mobile phone users on weekdays and weekends (77.1, 95% CI: 69.3-83.7 and 72.0, 95% CI: 65.0-78.4, respectively). Specificity was moderate to high for high users with the highest for call frequency during weekdays (98.4, 95% CI: 96

  1. Backbone-hydrazone-containing biodegradable copolymeric micelles for anticancer drug delivery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Jing; Luan, Shujuan; Qin, Benkai; Wang, Yingying; Wang, Kai; Qi, Peilan; Song, Shiyong, E-mail: pharmsong@henu.edu.cn [Henan University, Institute of Pharmacy (China)

    2016-11-15

    Well-defined biodegradable, pH-sensitive amphiphilic block polymers, poly(ethylene glycol)-Hyd-poly(lactic acid) (mPEG-Hyd-PLA) which have acid-cleavable linkages in their backbones, were synthesized via ring-opening polymerization initiated from hydrazone-containing macroinitiators. Introducing a hydrazone bond onto the backbone of an amphiphilic copolymer will find a broad-spectrum encapsulation of hydrophobic drugs. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy showed that the diblock copolymers self-assembled into stable micelles with average diameters of 100 nm. The mean diameters and size distribution of the hydrazone-containing micelles changed obviously in mildly acidic pH (multiple peaks from 1 to 202 nm appeared under a pH 4.0 condition) than in neutral, while there were no changes in the case of non-sensitive ones. Doxorubicin (DOX) and paclitaxel (PTX) were loaded with drug loading content ranging from 2.4 to 3.5 %, respectively. Interestingly, the anticancer drugs released from mPEG-Hyd-PLA micelles could also be promoted by the increased acidity. An in vitro cytotoxicity study showed that the DOX-loaded mPEG-Hyd-PLA micelles have significantly enhanced cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells compared with the non-sensitive poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(lactic acid) (mPEG-PLA) micelles. Confocal microscopy observation indicated that more DOX were delivered into the nuclei of cells following 6 or 12 h incubation with DOX-loaded mPEG-Hyd-PLA micelles. In vivo studies on H22-bearing Swiss mice demonstrated the superior anticancer activity of DOX-loaded mPEG-Hyd-PLA micelles over free DOX and DOX-loaded mPEG-PLA micelles. These hydrazone-containing pH-responsive degradable micelles provide a useful strategy for antitumor drug delivery.

  2. Backbone-hydrazone-containing biodegradable copolymeric micelles for anticancer drug delivery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Jing; Luan, Shujuan; Qin, Benkai; Wang, Yingying; Wang, Kai; Qi, Peilan; Song, Shiyong

    2016-01-01

    Well-defined biodegradable, pH-sensitive amphiphilic block polymers, poly(ethylene glycol)-Hyd-poly(lactic acid) (mPEG-Hyd-PLA) which have acid-cleavable linkages in their backbones, were synthesized via ring-opening polymerization initiated from hydrazone-containing macroinitiators. Introducing a hydrazone bond onto the backbone of an amphiphilic copolymer will find a broad-spectrum encapsulation of hydrophobic drugs. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy showed that the diblock copolymers self-assembled into stable micelles with average diameters of 100 nm. The mean diameters and size distribution of the hydrazone-containing micelles changed obviously in mildly acidic pH (multiple peaks from 1 to 202 nm appeared under a pH 4.0 condition) than in neutral, while there were no changes in the case of non-sensitive ones. Doxorubicin (DOX) and paclitaxel (PTX) were loaded with drug loading content ranging from 2.4 to 3.5 %, respectively. Interestingly, the anticancer drugs released from mPEG-Hyd-PLA micelles could also be promoted by the increased acidity. An in vitro cytotoxicity study showed that the DOX-loaded mPEG-Hyd-PLA micelles have significantly enhanced cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells compared with the non-sensitive poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(lactic acid) (mPEG-PLA) micelles. Confocal microscopy observation indicated that more DOX were delivered into the nuclei of cells following 6 or 12 h incubation with DOX-loaded mPEG-Hyd-PLA micelles. In vivo studies on H22-bearing Swiss mice demonstrated the superior anticancer activity of DOX-loaded mPEG-Hyd-PLA micelles over free DOX and DOX-loaded mPEG-PLA micelles. These hydrazone-containing pH-responsive degradable micelles provide a useful strategy for antitumor drug delivery.

  3. Efficient systemic DNA delivery to the tumor by self-assembled nanoparticle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Hailin; Xie, Xinhua; Guo, Jiaoli; Wei, Weidong; Wu, Minqing; Liu, Peng; Kong, Yanan; Yang, Lu; Hung, Mien-Chie; Xie, Xiaoming

    2014-01-01

    There are few delivery agents that could deliver gene with high efficiency and low toxicity, especially for animal experiments. Therefore, creating vectors with good delivery efficiency and safety profile is a meaningful work. We have developed a self-assembled gene delivery system (XM001), which can more efficiently deliver DNA to multiple cell lines and breast tumor, as compared to commercial delivery agents. In addition, systemically administrated XM001-BikDD (BikDD is a mutant form of proapoptotic gene Bik) significantly inhibited the growth of human breast cancer cells and prolonged the life span in implanted nude mice. This study demonstrates that XM001 is an efficient and widespread transfection agent, which could be a promising tumor delivery vector for cancer targeted therapy.

  4. Simulation of Molecular Transport in Systems Containing Mobile Obstacles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polanowski, Piotr; Sikorski, Andrzej

    2016-08-04

    In this paper, we investigate the movement of molecules in crowded environments with obstacles undergoing Brownian motion by means of extensive Monte Carlo simulations. Our investigations were performed using the dynamic lattice liquid model, which was based on the cooperative movement concept and allowed to mimic systems at high densities where the motion of all elements (obstacles as well as moving particles) were highly correlated. The crowded environments are modeled on a two-dimensional triangular lattice containing obstacles (particles whose mobility was significantly reduced) moving by a Brownian motion. The subdiffusive motion of both elements in the system was analyzed. It was shown that the percolation transition does not exist in such systems in spite of the cooperative character of the particles' motion. The reduction of the obstacle mobility leads to the longer caging of liquid particles by mobile obstacles.

  5. Peptide-based soft materials as potential drug delivery vehicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verma, Sandeep; Joshi, K B; Ghosh, Surajit

    2007-11-01

    Emerging concepts in the construction of nanostructures hold immense potential in the areas of drug delivery and targeting. Such nanoscopic assemblies/structures, similar to natural proteins and self-associating systems, may lead to the formation of programmable soft structures with expanded drug delivery options and the capability to circumvent first-pass metabolism. This article aims to illustrate key recent developments and innovative bioinspired design paradigms pertaining to peptide-containing self-assembled tubular and vesicular soft structures. Soft structures are composed of components that self-assemble to reveal diverse morphologies stabilized by weak, noncovalent interactions. Morphological properties of such structures and their ability to encapsulate drugs, biologicals and bioactive small molecules, with the promise of targeted delivery, are discussed.

  6. iPhone application development strategies for efficient mobile design and delivery

    CERN Document Server

    Hahn, Jim

    2011-01-01

    iPhone application development is explained here in an accessible treatment for the generalist Library and Information Science (LIS) practitioner. Future information-seeking practices by users will take place across a diverse array of ubiquitous computing devices. iPhone applications represent one of the most compelling new platforms for which to remediate and re-engineer library service. Strategies of efficient mobile design and delivery include adapting computing best practices of data independence and adhering to web standards as articulated by the W3C. These best practices apply across the

  7. Opportunities and barriers in service delivery through mobile phones (mHealth) for Severe Mental Illnesses in Rajasthan, India: A multi-site study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, Nikhil; Singh, Harful; Koolwal, Ghanshyam Das; Kumar, Sunil; Gupta, Aditya

    2015-04-01

    Widespread use of mobile technology holds a lot of promise for mental health service delivery in regions where mental health resources are scarce and the treatment gap is large. The felt needs of the clients, and the patterns and barriers of mobile usage must be understood before some intervention can be planned. The study presented in this paper was designed to fill this gap in the region of Rajasthan, India. The study was conducted in three tertiary care hospitals. Clients utilizing services for Severe Mental Illnesses (SMIs) were the participants of the study. Information about ownership, usage patterns and barriers to accessing mobile technology and felt needs in terms of mental health services that could be delivered through mobile phones were sought from the participants. The typical respondents in all three centres were middle-aged, married, Hindu males belonging to lower socio-economic strata from rural background. Seventy two to 92% of participants had access to mobile phone. The most preferred mode of service delivery was through calls. Helpline for crisis resolution and telephonic follow-up of stable patients emerged as the most felt need of the participants. Barriers to mobile phones usage included affordability, lack of necessity, poor signal. In conclusion, the study shows that the access to mobile phones amongst clients receiving services for SMI is widespread and offers new opportunities in service delivery in the region. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Rapid delivery of small interfering RNA by biosurfactant MEL-A-containing liposomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inoh, Yoshikazu; Furuno, Tadahide; Hirashima, Naohide; Kitamoto, Dai; Nakanishi, Mamoru

    2011-10-28

    The downregulation of gene expression by RNA interference holds great potential for genetic analysis and gene therapy. However, a more efficient delivery system for small interfering RNA (siRNA) into the target cells is required for wide fields such as cell biology, physiology, and clinical application. Non-viral vectors are stronger candidates than viral vectors because they are safer and easier to prepare. We have previously used a new method for gene transfection by combining cationic liposomes with the biosurfactant mannosylerythritol lipid-A (MEL-A). The novel MEL-A-containing cationic liposomes rapidly delivered DNA (plasmids and oligonucleotides) into the cytosol and nucleus through membrane fusion between liposomes and the plasma membrane, and consequently, enhanced the gene transfection efficiency. In this study, we determined the efficiency of MEL-A-containing cationic liposomes for siRNA delivery. We observed that exogenous and endogenous protein expression was suppressed by approximately 60% at 24h after brief (30 min) incubation of target cells with MEL-A-containing cationic liposome/siRNA complexes. Confocal microscopic analysis showed that suppression of protein expression was caused by rapid siRNA delivery into the cytosol. We found that the MEL-A-containing cationic liposomes directly delivered siRNA into the cytoplasm by the membrane fusion in addition to endocytotic pathway whereas Lipofectamine RNAiMax delivered siRNA only by the endocytotic pathway. It seems that the ability to rapidly and directly deliver siRNA into the cytosol using MEL-A-containing cationic liposomes is able to reduce immune responses, cytotoxicity, and other side effects caused by viral vectors in clinical applications. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Microstructure-mobility correlation in self-organised, conjugated polymer field-effect transistors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sirringhaus, H.; Brown, P.J.; Friend, R.H.

    2000-01-01

    We have investigated the correlation between polymer microstructure and charge carrier mobility in high-mobility, self-organised field-effect transistors of poly-3-hexyl-thiophene (P3HT). Two different preferential orientations of the microcrystalline P3HT domains with respect to the substrate have...

  10. Americans Still Overestimate Social Class Mobility: A Pre-Registered Self-Replication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kraus, Michael W

    2015-01-01

    Kraus and Tan (2015) hypothesized that Americans tend to overestimate social class mobility in society, and do so because they seek to protect the self. This paper reports a pre-registered exact replication of Study 3 from this original paper and finds, consistent with the original study, that Americans substantially overestimate social class mobility, that people provide greater overestimates when made while thinking of similar others, and that high perceived social class is related to greater overestimates. The current results provide additional evidence consistent with the idea that people overestimate class mobility to protect their beliefs in the promise of equality of opportunity. Discussion considers the utility of pre-registered self-replications as one tool for encouraging replication efforts and assessing the robustness of effect sizes.

  11. System Architecture and Mobility Management for Mobile Immersive Communications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehran Dowlatshahi

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available We propose a system design for delivery of immersive communications to mobile wireless devices based on a distributed proxy model. It is demonstrated that this architecture addresses key technical challenges for the delivery of these services, that is, constraints on link capacity and power consumption in mobile devices. However, additional complexity is introduced with respect to application layer mobility management. The paper proposes three possible methods for updating proxy assignments in response to mobility management and compares the performance of these methods.

  12. A Social Potential Fields Approach for Self-Deployment and Self-Healing in Hierarchical Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González-Parada, Eva; Cano-García, Jose; Aguilera, Francisco; Sandoval, Francisco; Urdiales, Cristina

    2017-01-09

    Autonomous mobile nodes in mobile wireless sensor networks (MWSN) allow self-deployment and self-healing. In both cases, the goals are: (i) to achieve adequate coverage; and (ii) to extend network life. In dynamic environments, nodes may use reactive algorithms so that each node locally decides when and where to move. This paper presents a behavior-based deployment and self-healing algorithm based on the social potential fields algorithm. In the proposed algorithm, nodes are attached to low cost robots to autonomously navigate in the coverage area. The proposed algorithm has been tested in environments with and without obstacles. Our study also analyzes the differences between non-hierarchical and hierarchical routing configurations in terms of network life and coverage.

  13. Formulation, optimization, and evaluation of self-emulsifying drug delivery systems of nevirapine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chintalapudi, Ramprasad; Murthy, T E G K; Lakshmi, K Rajya; Manohar, G Ganesh

    2015-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to formulate and optimize the self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) of nevirapine (NVP) by use of 2(2) factorial designs to enhance the oral absorption of NVP by improving its solubility, dissolution rate, and diffusion profile. SEDDS are the isotropic mixtures of oil, surfactant, co-surfactant and drug that form oil in water microemulsion when introduced into the aqueous phase under gentle agitation. Solubility of NVP in different oils, surfactants, and co-surfactants was determined for the screening of excipients. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were constructed by the aqueous titration method, and formulations were developed based on the optimum excipient combinations with the help of data obtained through the maximum micro emulsion region containing combinations of oil, surfactant, and co-surfactant. The formulations of SEDDS were optimized by 2(2) factorial designs. The optimum formulation of SEDDS contains 32.5% oleic acid, 44.16% tween 20, and 11.9% polyethylene glycol 600 as oil, surfactant, and co-surfactant respectively. The SEDDS was evaluated for the following drug content, self-emulsification time, rheological properties, zeta potential, in vitro diffusion studies, thermodynamic stability studies, and in vitro dissolution studies. An increase in dissolution was achieved by SEDDS compared to pure form of NVP. Overall, this study suggests that the dissolution and oral bioavailability of NVP could be improved by SEDDS technology.

  14. Penetration enhancer-containing vesicles (PEVs) as carriers for cutaneous delivery of minoxidil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mura, Simona; Manconi, Maria; Sinico, Chiara; Valenti, Donatella; Fadda, Anna Maria

    2009-10-01

    The aim of this work was to evaluate the ability of a few different penetration enhancers to produce elastic vesicles with soy lecithin and the influence of the obtained vesicles on in vitro (trans)dermal delivery of minoxidil. To this purpose, so-called Penetration Enhancer-containing Vesicles (PEVs) were prepared as dehydrated-rehydrated vesicles by using soy lecithin and different amounts of three penetration enhancers, 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethanol (Transcutol), capryl-caproyl macrogol 8-glyceride (Labrasol), and cineole. Soy lecithin liposomes, without penetration enhancers, were used as control. Prepared formulations were characterized in terms of size distribution, morphology, zeta potential, and vesicle deformability. The influence of PEVs on (trans)dermal delivery of minoxidil was studied by in vitro diffusion experiments through newborn pig skin in comparison with traditional liposomes and ethanolic solutions of the drug also containing each penetration enhancer. A skin pre-treatment study using empty PEVs and conventional liposomes was also carried out. Results showed that all the used penetration enhancers were able to give more deformable vesicles than conventional liposomes with a good drug entrapment efficiency and stability. In vitro skin penetration data showed that PEVs were able to give a statistically significant improvement of minoxidil deposition in the skin in comparison with classic liposomes and penetration enhancer-containing drug ethanolic solutions without any transdermal delivery. Moreover, the most deformable PEVs, prepared with Labrasol and cineole, were also able to deliver to the skin a higher total amount of minoxidil than the PE alcoholic solutions thus suggesting that minoxidil delivery to the skin was strictly correlated to vesicle deformability, and therefore to vesicle composition.

  15. Connecting Mobile Users Through Mobile Social Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Faisal Alkhateeb

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, social networks become popular with the emerging of web-based social networking services. Recently, several mobile services are developed to connect users to their favourite social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc. However, these services depends upon the existing web-based social networks. In this paper, we present a mobile service for joining groups across communities. The originality of the work is that the framework of the service allows creating and joining social networks that are self-contained for mobile company servers. The service consists of several sub-services such as users invitation, group finding and others. Users, regardless of their disability, can use the service and its sub-services without the need to create their own accounts on social web sites and thus their own groups. We also propose a privacy control policy for mobile social networks.

  16. Americans Still Overestimate Social Class Mobility: A Pre-Registered Self-Replication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael W. Kraus

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Kraus and Tan (2015 hypothesized that Americans tend to overestimate social class mobility in society, and do so because they seek to protect the self. This paper reports a pre-registered exact replication of Study 3 from this original paper and finds, consistent with the original study, that Americans substantially overestimate social class mobility, that people provide greater overestimates when made while thinking of similar others, and that high perceived social class is related to greater overestimates. The current results provide additional evidence consistent with the idea that people overestimate class mobility to protect their beliefs in the promise of equality of opportunity. Discussion considers the utility of pre-registered self-replications as one tool for encouraging replication efforts and assessing the robustness of effect sizes.

  17. [Mobile laboratories for rapid deployment and their contribution to the containment of emerging diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa, illustrated by the example of Ebola virus disease].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diers, J; Kouriba, B; Ladan Fofana, L; Fleischmann, E; Starke, M; Diallo, S; Babin, F-X; von Bonin, J; Wölfel, R

    2015-01-01

    The Ebola virus, which became a global health concern in 2014, is an example of an emerging pathogen. Ebola virus disease can only be diagnosed in biosafety level 3 and 4 laboratories, which provide the security required to avoid exposure of both the staff and the environment to the pathogen. These laboratories are often far from the site of outbreaks, which may occur in rural areas or border regions (when the disease is imported from a neighboring country). Rapidly deployable laboratory units can bring the diagnosis closer to the outbreak site and thus significantly shorten the time to delivery of results, thus facilitating epidemic containment. Here we report our experience from the first months of implementation in Mali of a mobile laboratory unit of the same type as the European mobile labs and we describe the workflow in the laboratory as well as the training of its Malian staff. Based on our experience and the reports of other projects, we propose a framework in which these mobile laboratory units can strengthen epidemiological surveillance and contribute to containing outbreaks of emerging diseases in sub-Saharan Africa.

  18. Rethinking mobile delivery: using Quick Response codes to access information at the point of need.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lombardo, Nancy T; Morrow, Anne; Le Ber, Jeanne

    2012-01-01

    This article covers the use of Quick Response (QR) codes to provide instant mobile access to information, digital collections, educational offerings, library website, subject guides, text messages, videos, and library personnel. The array of uses and the value of using QR codes to push customized information to patrons are explained. A case is developed for using QR codes for mobile delivery of customized information to patrons. Applications in use at the Libraries of the University of Utah will be reviewed to provide readers with ideas for use in their library. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

  19. Self nano-emulsifying drug delivery system for Embelin: Design, characterization and in-vitro studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Komal Parmar

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available CThe objective of the present study was to prepare solid self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (S-SNEDDS containing Capryol-90 as oil phase for the delivery of Embelin, a poorly water soluble herbal active ingredient. Box-Behnken experimental design was employed to optimise the formulation variables, X1 (amount of oil; Capryol 90, X2 (amount of surfactant; Acrysol EL 135 and X3 (amount of co-surfactant; PEG 400. Systems were appraised for visual characteristics for self emulsifying time, globule size and drug release. Optimised liquid formulations were formulated into free flowing granules (S-SNEDDS by adsorption on the porous materials like Aerosil 200 and Neusilin and thereby compressed into tablet. In vitro dissolution studies of SNEDDS revealed increased in the dissolution rate of the drug. FT-IR data revealed no physicochemical interaction between drug and excipients. Solid state characterization of S-SNEDDS by DSC and Powder XRD confirmed reduction in drug crystallinity which further supports the results of dissolution studies. TEM analysis exhibited spherical globules. Further, the accelerated stability studies for 6 months revealed that S-SNEDDS of Embelin are found to be stable without any significant change in physicochemical properties. Thus, the present studies demonstrated dissolution enhancement potential of porous carrier based S-SNEDDS for poorly water soluble herbal active ingredient, Embelin.

  20. A Social Potential Fields Approach for Self-Deployment and Self-Healing in Hierarchical Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva González-Parada

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Autonomous mobile nodes in mobile wireless sensor networks (MWSN allow self-deployment and self-healing. In both cases, the goals are: (i to achieve adequate coverage; and (ii to extend network life. In dynamic environments, nodes may use reactive algorithms so that each node locally decides when and where to move. This paper presents a behavior-based deployment and self-healing algorithm based on the social potential fields algorithm. In the proposed algorithm, nodes are attached to low cost robots to autonomously navigate in the coverage area. The proposed algorithm has been tested in environments with and without obstacles. Our study also analyzes the differences between non-hierarchical and hierarchical routing configurations in terms of network life and coverage.

  1. Safety analysis report for packaging (onsite) decontaminated equipment self-container

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boehnke, W.M.

    1998-01-01

    The purpose of this Safety Analysis Report for Packaging (SARP) is to demonstrate that specific decontaminated equipment can be safely used as its own self-container. As a Decontaminated Equipment Self-Container (also referred to as a self-container), no other packaging, such as a burial box, would be required to transport the equipment onsite. The self-container will consist of a piece of equipment or apparatus which has all readily removable interior contamination removed, all of its external openings sealed, and all external surfaces decontaminated to less than 2000 dpm/100 cm for gamma-emitting radionuclides and less than 220 dpm/100 CM2 for alpha-emitting radionuclides

  2. Mental healthcare delivery in rural Greece: A 10-year account of a mobile mental health unit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vaios Peritogiannis

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Patients living in rural and remote areas may have limited access to mental healthcare due to lack of facilities and socioeconomic reasons, and this is the case of rural areas in Eastern Europe countries. In Greece, community mental health service delivery in rural areas has been implemented through the development of the Mobile Mental Health Units (MMHUs. Methods: We present a 10-year account of the operation of the MMHU of the prefectures of Ioannina and Thesprotia (MMHU I-T and report on the impact of the service on mental health delivery in the catchment area. The MMHU I-T is a multidisciplinary community mental health team which delivers services in rural and mountainous areas of Northwest Greece. Results: The MMHU I-T has become an integral part of the local primary care system and is well known to the population of the catchment area. By the end of 2016, the majority of patients (60% were self-referred or family-referred, compared to 24% in the first 2 years. Currently, the number of active patients is 293 (mean age 63 years, 49.5% are older adults, and the mean caseload for each member of the team is 36.6. A significant proportion of patients (28% receive care with regular domiciliary visits, and the provision of home-based care was correlated with the age of the patients. Within the first 2 years of operation of the MMHU I-T hospitalizations of treatment, engaged patients were reduced significantly by 30.4%, whereas the treatment engagement rates of patients with psychotic disorders were 67.2% in 5 years. Conclusions: The MMHU I-T and other similar units in Greece are a successful paradigm of a low-cost service which promotes mental health in rural, remote, and deprived areas. This model of care may be informative for clinical practice and health policy given the ongoing recession and health budget cuts. It suggests that rural mental healthcare may be effectively delivered by integrating generic community mental health

  3. Mobile applications in dermatology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brewer, Ann Chang; Endly, Dawnielle C; Henley, Jill; Amir, Mahsa; Sampson, Blake P; Moreau, Jacqueline F; Dellavalle, Robert P

    2013-11-01

    With advancements in mobile technology, cellular phone-based mobile applications (apps) may be used in the practice and delivery of dermatologic care. To identify and categorize the variety of current mobile apps available in dermatology for patients and providers. Dermatology-related search terms were queried in the online app stores of the most commonly used mobile platforms developed by Apple, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, and Windows. Applications were assigned to categories based on description. Popularity, price, and reviews were recorded and target audiences were determined through websites offering online mobile apps. Number, type, and price of mobile apps in dermatology. A total of 229 dermatology-related apps were identified in the following categories: general dermatology reference (61 [26.6%]), self-surveillance/diagnosis (41 [17.9%]), disease guide (39 [17.0%]), educational aid (20 [8.7%]), sunscreen/UV recommendation (19 [8.3%]), calculator (12 [5.2%]), teledermatology (8 [3.5%]), conference (6 [2.6%]), journal (6 [2.6%]), photograph storage/sharing (5 [2.2%]), dermoscopy (2 [0.9%]), pathology (2 [0.9%]), and other (8 [3.5%]). The most reviewed apps included Ultraviolet ~ UV Index (355 reviews), VisualDx (306), SPF (128), iSore (61), and SpotMole (50). There were 209 unique apps, with 17 apps existing on more than 1 operating system. More than half of the apps were offered free of charge (117 [51.1%]). Paid apps (112 [48.9%]) ranged from $0.99 to $139.99 (median, $2.99). Target audiences included patient (117 [51.1%]), health care provider (94 [41.0%]), and both (18 [7.9%]). The widespread variety and popularity of mobile apps demonstrate a great potential to expand the practice and delivery of dermatologic care.

  4. Self containment, a property of modular RNA structures, distinguishes microRNAs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miler T Lee

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available RNA molecules will tend to adopt a folded conformation through the pairing of bases on a single strand; the resulting so-called secondary structure is critical to the function of many types of RNA. The secondary structure of a particular substring of functional RNA may depend on its surrounding sequence. Yet, some RNAs such as microRNAs retain their specific structures during biogenesis, which involves extraction of the substructure from a larger structural context, while other functional RNAs may be composed of a fusion of independent substructures. Such observations raise the question of whether particular functional RNA substructures may be selected for invariance of secondary structure to their surrounding nucleotide context. We define the property of self containment to be the tendency for an RNA sequence to robustly adopt the same optimal secondary structure regardless of whether it exists in isolation or is a substring of a longer sequence of arbitrary nucleotide content. We measured degree of self containment using a scoring method we call the self-containment index and found that miRNA stem loops exhibit high self containment, consistent with the requirement for structural invariance imposed by the miRNA biogenesis pathway, while most other structured RNAs do not. Further analysis revealed a trend toward higher self containment among clustered and conserved miRNAs, suggesting that high self containment may be a characteristic of novel miRNAs acquiring new genomic contexts. We found that miRNAs display significantly enhanced self containment compared to other functional RNAs, but we also found a trend toward natural selection for self containment in most functional RNA classes. We suggest that self containment arises out of selection for robustness against perturbations, invariance during biogenesis, and modular composition of structural function. Analysis of self containment will be important for both annotation and design of functional

  5. Contribution of mobile health applications to self-management by consumers: review of published evidence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Kevin; Emmerton, Lynne M

    2016-11-01

    Objective The aim of the present study was to review the contribution of mobile health applications ('apps') to consumers' self-management of chronic health conditions, and the potential for this practice to inform health policy, procedures and guidelines. Methods A search was performed on the MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, ProQuest and Global Health (Ovid) databases using the search terms 'mobile app*', 'self-care', 'self-monitoring', 'trial', 'intervention*' and various medical conditions. The search was supplemented with manual location of emerging literature and government reports. Mapping review methods identified relevant titles and abstracts, followed by review of content to determine extant research, reports addressing the key questions, and gaps suggesting areas for future research. Available studies were organised by disease state, and presented in a narrative analysis. Results Four studies describing the results of clinical trials were identified from Canada, England, Taiwan and Australia; all but the Australian study used custom-made apps. The available studies examined the effect of apps in health monitoring, reporting positive but not robust findings. Australian public policy and government reports acknowledge and support self-management, but do not address the potential contribution of mobile interventions. Conclusions There are limited controlled trials testing the contribution of health apps to consumers' self-management. Further evidence in this field is required to inform health policy and practice relating to self-management. What is known about the topic? Australian health policy encourages self-care by health consumers to reduce expenditure in health services. A fundamental component of self-care in chronic health conditions is self-monitoring, which can be used to assess progress towards treatment goals, as well as signs and symptoms of disease exacerbation. An abundance of mobile health apps is available for self-monitoring. What does this study

  6. Comparison of self-administered survey questionnaire responses collected using mobile apps versus other methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcano Belisario, José S; Jamsek, Jan; Huckvale, Kit; O'Donoghue, John; Morrison, Cecily P; Car, Josip

    2015-07-27

    Self-administered survey questionnaires are an important data collection tool in clinical practice, public health research and epidemiology. They are ideal for achieving a wide geographic coverage of the target population, dealing with sensitive topics and are less resource-intensive than other data collection methods. These survey questionnaires can be delivered electronically, which can maximise the scalability and speed of data collection while reducing cost. In recent years, the use of apps running on consumer smart devices (i.e., smartphones and tablets) for this purpose has received considerable attention. However, variation in the mode of delivering a survey questionnaire could affect the quality of the responses collected. To assess the impact that smartphone and tablet apps as a delivery mode have on the quality of survey questionnaire responses compared to any other alternative delivery mode: paper, laptop computer, tablet computer (manufactured before 2007), short message service (SMS) and plastic objects. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, IEEEXplore, Web of Science, CABI: CAB Abstracts, Current Contents Connect, ACM Digital, ERIC, Sociological Abstracts, Health Management Information Consortium, the Campbell Library and CENTRAL. We also searched registers of current and ongoing clinical trials such as ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. We also searched the grey literature in OpenGrey, Mobile Active and ProQuest Dissertation & Theses. Lastly, we searched Google Scholar and the reference lists of included studies and relevant systematic reviews. We performed all searches up to 12 and 13 April 2015. We included parallel randomised controlled trials (RCTs), crossover trials and paired repeated measures studies that compared the electronic delivery of self-administered survey questionnaires via a smartphone or tablet app with any other delivery mode. We included data obtained from

  7. Micro-structure-mobility correlation in self-organised, conjugated polymer field-effect transistors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sirringhaus, H.; Brown, P.J.; Friend, R.H.; Nielsen, M.M.; Bechgaard, K.; Langeveld-Voss, B.M.W.; Spiering, A.J.H.; Janssen, R.A.J.; Meijer, E.W.

    2000-01-01

    We have investigated the correlation between polymer microstructure and charge carrier mobility in high-mobility, self-organised field-effect transistors of poly-3-hexyl-thiophene (P3HT). Two different preferential orientations of the microcrystalline P3HT domains with respect to the substrate have

  8. Self-contained filtered density function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nouri, A. G.; Nik, M. B.; Givi, P.; Livescu, D.; Pope, S. B.

    2017-09-01

    The filtered density function (FDF) closure is extended to a "self-contained" format to include the subgrid-scale (SGS) statistics of all of the hydro-thermo-chemical variables in turbulent flows. These are the thermodynamic pressure, the specific internal energy, the velocity vector, and the composition field. In this format, the model is comprehensive and facilitates large-eddy simulation (LES) of flows at both low and high compressibility levels. A transport equation is developed for the joint pressure-energy-velocity-composition filtered mass density function (PEVC-FMDF). In this equation, the effect of convection appears in closed form. The coupling of the hydrodynamics and thermochemistry is modeled via a set of stochastic differential equation for each of the transport variables. This yields a self-contained SGS closure. For demonstration, LES is conducted of a turbulent shear flow with transport of a passive scalar. The consistency of the PEVC-FMDF formulation is established, and its overall predictive capability is appraised via comparison with direct numerical simulation (DNS) data.

  9. Pharmacokinetics of a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system of tacrolimus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Suesskind-Schwendi, Marietta; Gruber, Michael; Touraud, Didier; Kunz, Werner; Schmid, Christof; Hirt, Stephan W; Lehle, Karla

    2013-07-01

    This study evaluated the pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus (Tac) in a novel self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) for improved oral administration. SMEDDS Tac consisted of ethyl oleate as the oily phase, Solutol HS 15 as the surfactant and glycofurol as the co-surfactant and contained 0.5mg/mL tacrolimus. Blood and tissue concentrations of tacrolimus from two study groups (oral application of SMEDDS Tac and Prograf®) were determined using ELISA technique following tacrolimus administration in rats. There was no difference between area under the whole blood concentration-time curve in the SEDDM Tac group and the Prograf® group. Maximum concentrations of the drug were three times higher (P<0.05) in the SEDDM Tac group accompanied by a 3-fold earlier peak time. Elimination half-life was significantly lower in the SEDDM Tac group. Application of SMEDDS Tac increased tissue accumulation. Already after 15 min, Tac levels of small intestine, liver, kidney, spleen, heart and bone marrow were significantly higher in the SMEDDS Tac group than in the Prograf® group (P<0.05). However, the Tac concentration in the kidney was significantly lower in the SMEDDS Tac group. Formulation of SMEDDS did not affect blood-brain barrier function. The SMEDDS is a potentially useful method for a local delivery of Tac to target organs. The selection of the optimum SMEDDS Tac composition might have advantage as an alternative oral dosage form for Tac. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  10. Self-reinforcement and protein sustained delivery of hyaluronan hydrogel by tailoring a dually cross-linked network

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Luo, Chunhong; Xu, Guoguang; Wang, Xinghui [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Tu, Mei; Zeng, Rong; Rong, Jianhua [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Engineering Research Center of Artificial Organs and Materials, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Zhao, Jianhao, E-mail: jhzhao@jnu.edu.cn [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Engineering Research Center of Artificial Organs and Materials, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510632 (China)

    2015-01-01

    A series of self-reinforcing hyaluronan hydrogels were developed to improve mechanical properties and protein sustained delivery thanks to a dually cross-linked network. Hyaluronan gel particles (HGPs, 1–5 μm in diameter) with different cross-linking densities, i.e. HGPs-1.5, HGPs-3 and HGPs-15, were prepared in an inverse emulsion system and used as the reinforcing phase after glycidyl methacrylation, while glycidyl methacrylated hyaluronan with a substitution degree of 45.2% was synthesized as the matrix phase. These two phases were cross-linked under ultraviolet irradiation to form self-reinforcing hyaluronan hydrogels (srHAs) that showed typical cross-linked structure of HGPs connecting the matrix phase by cross-section observation. In comparison to hyaluronan bulk gels and their blends with HGPs, srHAs distinctly enhanced the mechanical properties and BSA long-term sustained delivery, especially srHA-1.5 showed the highest compressive modulus of 220 ± 15 kPa and the slowest BSA delivery (67% release at 14 d). The 3T3 fibroblast cell culture showed that all the srHAs had no cytotoxicity. - Highlights: • New self-reinforcing HA hydrogels with a dually cross-linked network were developed. • Self-reinforcing HA hydrogels greatly enhanced the mechanical properties. • Self-reinforcing HA hydrogels prolonged the sustained delivery of BSA. • The self-reinforcing mechanism and BSA diffusion mechanism were discussed. • Self-reinforcing HA hydrogels had no cytotoxicity to 3T3 fibroblast cells.

  11. Self-reinforcement and protein sustained delivery of hyaluronan hydrogel by tailoring a dually cross-linked network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo, Chunhong; Xu, Guoguang; Wang, Xinghui; Tu, Mei; Zeng, Rong; Rong, Jianhua; Zhao, Jianhao

    2015-01-01

    A series of self-reinforcing hyaluronan hydrogels were developed to improve mechanical properties and protein sustained delivery thanks to a dually cross-linked network. Hyaluronan gel particles (HGPs, 1–5 μm in diameter) with different cross-linking densities, i.e. HGPs-1.5, HGPs-3 and HGPs-15, were prepared in an inverse emulsion system and used as the reinforcing phase after glycidyl methacrylation, while glycidyl methacrylated hyaluronan with a substitution degree of 45.2% was synthesized as the matrix phase. These two phases were cross-linked under ultraviolet irradiation to form self-reinforcing hyaluronan hydrogels (srHAs) that showed typical cross-linked structure of HGPs connecting the matrix phase by cross-section observation. In comparison to hyaluronan bulk gels and their blends with HGPs, srHAs distinctly enhanced the mechanical properties and BSA long-term sustained delivery, especially srHA-1.5 showed the highest compressive modulus of 220 ± 15 kPa and the slowest BSA delivery (67% release at 14 d). The 3T3 fibroblast cell culture showed that all the srHAs had no cytotoxicity. - Highlights: • New self-reinforcing HA hydrogels with a dually cross-linked network were developed. • Self-reinforcing HA hydrogels greatly enhanced the mechanical properties. • Self-reinforcing HA hydrogels prolonged the sustained delivery of BSA. • The self-reinforcing mechanism and BSA diffusion mechanism were discussed. • Self-reinforcing HA hydrogels had no cytotoxicity to 3T3 fibroblast cells

  12. Dietary assessment and self-monitoring with nutrition applications for mobile devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lieffers, Jessica R L; Hanning, Rhona M

    2012-01-01

    Nutrition applications for mobile devices (e.g., personal digital assistants, smartphones) are becoming increasingly accessible and can assist with the difficult task of intake recording for dietary assessment and self-monitoring. This review is a compilation and discussion of research on this tool for dietary intake documentation in healthy populations and those trying to lose weight. The purpose is to compare this tool with conventional methods (e.g., 24-hour recall interviews, paper-based food records). Research databases were searched from January 2000 to April 2011, with the following criteria: healthy or weight loss populations, use of a mobile device nutrition application, and inclusion of at least one of three measures, which were the ability to capture dietary intake in comparison with conventional methods, dietary self-monitoring adherence, and changes in anthropometrics and/or dietary intake. Eighteen studies are discussed. Two application categories were identified: those with which users select food and portion size from databases and those with which users photograph their food. Overall, positive feedback was reported with applications. Both application types had moderate to good correlations for assessing energy and nutrient intakes in comparison with conventional methods. For self-monitoring, applications versus conventional techniques (often paper records) frequently resulted in better self-monitoring adherence, and changes in dietary intake and/or anthropometrics. Nutrition applications for mobile devices have an exciting potential for use in dietetic practice.

  13. Lipid Nanocarriers for Oral Delivery of Serenoa repens CO2 Extract: A Study of Microemulsion and Self-Microemulsifying Drug Delivery Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guccione, Clizia; Bergonzi, Maria Camilla; Awada, Khaled M; Piazzini, Vieri; Bilia, Anna Rita

    2018-07-01

    The aim of this study was the development and characterization of lipid nanocarriers using food grade components for oral delivery of Serenoa repens CO 2 extract, namely microemulsions (MEs) and self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDSs) to improve the oral absorption. A commercial blend (CB) containing 320 of S. repens CO 2 extract plus the aqueous soluble extracts of nettle root and pineapple stem was formulated in two MEs and two SMEDDSs. The optimized ME loaded with the CB (CBM2) had a very low content of water (only 17.3%). The drug delivery systems were characterized by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a diode-array detector analyses in order to evaluate the size, the homogeneity, the morphology, and the encapsulation efficiency. β -carotene was selected as marker for the quantitative HPLC analysis. Additionally, physical and chemical stabilities were acceptable during 3 wk at 4 °C. Stability of these nanocarriers in simulated stomach and intestinal conditions was proved. Finally, the improvement of oral absorption of S. repens was studied in vitro using parallel artificial membrane permeability assay. An enhancement of oral permeation was found in both CBM2 and CBS2 nanoformulations comparing with the CB and S. repens CO 2 extract. The best performance was obtained by the CBM2 nanoformulation (~ 17%) predicting a 30 - 70% passive oral human absorption in vivo . Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  14. Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS): formulation development, characterization, and applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Bhupinder; Bandopadhyay, Shantanu; Kapil, Rishi; Singh, Ramandeep; Katare, O

    2009-01-01

    Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) possess unparalleled potential in improving oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. Following their oral administration, these systems rapidly disperse in gastrointestinal fluids, yielding micro- or nanoemulsions containing the solubilized drug. Owing to its miniscule globule size, the micro/nanoemulsifed drug can easily be absorbed through lymphatic pathways, bypassing the hepatic first-pass effect. We present an exhaustive and updated account of numerous literature reports and patents on diverse types of self-emulsifying drug formulations, with emphasis on their formulation, characterization, and systematic optimization strategies. Recent advancements in various methodologies employed to characterize their globule size and shape, ability to encapsulate the drug, gastrointestinal and thermodynamic stability, rheological characteristics, and so forth, are discussed comprehensively to guide the formula-tor in preparing an effective and robust SEDDS formulation. Also, this exhaustive review offers an explicit discussion on vital applications of the SEDDS in bioavailability enhancement of various drugs, outlining an overview on myriad in vitro, in situ, and ex vivo techniques to assess the absorption and/ or permeation potential of drugs incorporated in the SEDDS in animal and cell line models, and the subsequent absorption pathways followed by them. In short, the current article furnishes an updated compilation of wide-ranging information on all the requisite vistas of the self-emulsifying formulations, thus paving the way for accelerated progress into the SEDDS application in pharmaceutical research.

  15. Field-Based Experiential Learning Using Mobile Devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hilley, G. E.

    2015-12-01

    Technologies such as GPS and cellular triangulation allow location-specific content to be delivered by mobile devices, but no mechanism currently exists to associate content shared between locations in a way that guarantees the delivery of coherent and non-redundant information at every location. Thus, experiential learning via mobile devices must currently take place along a predefined path, as in the case of a self-guided tour. I developed a mobile-device-based system that allows a person to move through a space along a path of their choosing, while receiving information in a way that guarantees delivery of appropriate background and location-specific information without producing redundancy of content between locations. This is accomplished by coupling content to knowledge-concept tags that are noted as fulfilled when users take prescribed actions. Similarly, the presentation of the content is related to the fulfillment of these knowledge-concept tags through logic statements that control the presentation. Content delivery is triggered by mobile-device geolocation including GPS/cellular navigation, and sensing of low-power Bluetooth proximity beacons. Together, these features implement a process that guarantees a coherent, non-redundant educational experience throughout a space, regardless of a learner's chosen path. The app that runs on the mobile device works in tandem with a server-side database and file-serving system that can be configured through a web-based GUI, and so content creators can easily populate and configure content with the system. Once the database has been updated, the new content is immediately available to the mobile devices when they arrive at the location at which content is required. Such a system serves as a platform for the development of field-based geoscience educational experiences, in which students can organically learn about core concepts at particular locations while individually exploring a space.

  16. Self-assembling surfactant-like peptide A6K as potential delivery system for hydrophobic drugs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen Y

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Yongzhu Chen,1 Chengkang Tang,2 Jie Zhang,2 Meng Gong,3 Bo Su,2 Feng Qiu4 1Periodical Press, 2Core Facility of West China Hospital, 3Laboratory of Endocrinology and Metabolism, West China Hospital, 4Laboratory of Anaesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Translational Neuroscience Centre, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China Background: Finding a suitable delivery system to improve the water solubility of hydrophobic drugs is a critical challenge in the development of effective formulations. In this study, we used A6K, a self-assembling surfactant-like peptide, as a carrier to encapsulate and deliver hydrophobic pyrene.Methods: Pyrene was mixed with A6K by magnetic stirring to form a suspension. Confocal laser scanning microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, fluorescence, and cell uptake measurements were carried out to study the features and stability of the nanostructures, the state and content of pyrene, as well as the pyrene release profile.Results: The suspension formed contained pyrene monomers trapped in the hydrophobic cores of the micellar nanofibers formed by A6K, as well as nanosized pyrene crystals wrapped up and stabilized by the nanofibers. The two different encapsulation methods greatly increased the concentration of pyrene in the suspension, and formation of pyrene crystals wrapped up by A6K nanofibers might be the major contributor to this effect. Furthermore, the suspension system could readily release and transfer pyrene into living cells.Conclusion: A6K could be further exploited as a promising delivery system for hydrophobic drugs. Keywords: pyrene, self-assembling peptide, micelles, nanofibers, drug delivery  

  17. Closable container with a self-locking lid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paressant, Michel; Faucond, Jean; Tellier, Claude.

    1976-01-01

    This invention concerns a closable container with a self-locking lid. The invention applies in particular in automated installations, for instance for the transport of dangerous substances and notably in the nuclear area for removing radioactive waste. The purpose of the invention is therefore to propose a closable container with a lid that can close and lock automatically on the receptacle whilst allowing for easy unlocking and opening by remote means. Under the invention the container comprises a receptacle and a self-locking lid closing it, the said container being such that the edge of the lid is shut down so as to cover that of the receptacle, these two edges cooperating by means of a hooking ramp and catch fitted respectively to each of them, this gear retracting when moving over the ramp in the lid closing direction and butting against it in the reverse direction. The container has unlocking gear to clear the catch from the ramp to free its passage in the lid opening direction [fr

  18. Effect of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation on mobility and self-esteem of persons after cardiac surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, J Y; Tam, S F

    2000-08-01

    This study adopted an experimental design with using a nonequivalent, posttest only control group to study the rehabilitation outcomes of 152 persons who received cardiac surgery. 37 subjects in a rehabilitation group participated in a 2-mo. exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programme, and another 115 subjects who did not attend the programme formed the control group. The subjects' self-esteem was measured on the Adult Source of Self-esteem Inventory by Elvoson and Fleming, and their mobility skill was measured by a simple mobility test based on New York Heart Association Classification. Analysis of covariance (with covariance analysis of the subjects' age, years of education, occupational skill, and mobility skill) indicated that the experimental group scored higher on positive self esteem and showed significantly better improvement in mobility skill. The exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programme positively affected physical and psychological outcomes. Also, subjects' self-esteem was significantly correlated with their mobility skills (r=.21, p<.05) among those aged under 60 years (n=96) but not among those aged 60 or above (n=53).

  19. A Mobile Application for User Regulated Self-Assessments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazarinis, Fotis; Verykios, Vassilios S.; Panagiotakopoulos, Chris

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we present a mobile application for self-assessment. The work describes the main features of the application and focuses on its acceptance by students and the increase on their learning, through its usage in real testing settings. The application supports the retrieval of questions based on a number of criteria and it was evaluated…

  20. Enhanced Delivery and Potency of Self-Amplifying mRNA Vaccines by Electroporation in Situ

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaustuv Banerjee

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Nucleic acid-based vaccines such as viral vectors, plasmid DNA (pDNA, and mRNA are being developed as a means to address limitations of both live-attenuated and subunit vaccines. DNA vaccines have been shown to be potent in a wide variety of animal species and several products are now licensed for commercial veterinary but not human use. Electroporation delivery technologies have been shown to improve the generation of T and B cell responses from synthetic DNA vaccines in many animal species and now in humans. However, parallel RNA approaches have lagged due to potential issues of potency and production. Many of the obstacles to mRNA vaccine development have recently been addressed, resulting in a revival in the use of non-amplifying and self-amplifying mRNA for vaccine and gene therapy applications. In this paper, we explore the utility of EP for the in vivo delivery of large, self-amplifying mRNA, as measured by reporter gene expression and immunogenicity of genes encoding HIV envelope protein. These studies demonstrated that EP delivery of self-amplifying mRNA elicited strong and broad immune responses in mice, which were comparable to those induced by EP delivery of pDNA.

  1. Innovative Self-Powered and Self-Contained Sensor Array for Separation Detection, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The proposed innovation is a self-contained, self-powered, robust flight test sensor array for the determination of separation. The proposed system uses off the...

  2. The Effects of an Interactive Nursing Skills Mobile Application on Nursing Students' Knowledge, Self-efficacy, and Skills Performance: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hyunsun; Suh, Eunyoung E

    2018-03-01

    Clinical nursing practice is important because it helps nursing students experience realities of clinical nursing that cannot be learned through theoretical education. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an interactive nursing skills mobile application for nursing students. Sixty-six senior nursing students were randomly assigned to experimental or control groups. The experimental group used an interactive nursing skills mobile application for 1 week. The control group was provided with a mobile application containing noninteractive nursing video contents for 1 week. Before (pre-test) and 1 week after (post-test) using the mobile application, participants' knowledge of clinical nursing skills, self-efficacy of nursing practice, and nursing skills performance were assessed. The experimental group showed a significantly higher value for knowledge after 1 week of treatment via their mobile application than the control group (t = 3.34, p = .001). In addition, they showed significantly improved self-efficacy before and after intervention (t = 2.46, p = .017) than the control group. The experimental group's nursing skills performance was also significantly enhanced after intervention (t = 7.05, p mobile application with systematic contents was an effective method for students to experience practical nursing skills. Developing and applying a mobile application with other nursing contents that can be effectively used across all range of nursing students is recommended. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  3. Nanocoating for biomolecule delivery using layer-by-layer self-assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keeney, M; Jiang, X Y; Yamane, M; Lee, M; Goodman, S; Yang, F

    2015-11-07

    Since its introduction in the early 1990s, layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly of films has been widely used in the fields of nanoelectronics, optics, sensors, surface coatings, and controlled drug delivery. The growth of this industry is propelled by the ease of film manufacture, low cost, mild assembly conditions, precise control of coating thickness, and versatility of coating materials. Despite the wealth of research on LbL for biomolecule delivery, clinical translation has been limited and slow. This review provides an overview of methods and mechanisms of loading biomolecules within LbL films and achieving controlled release. In particular, this review highlights recent advances in the development of LbL coatings for the delivery of different types of biomolecules including proteins, polypeptides, DNA, particles and viruses. To address the need for co-delivery of multiple types of biomolecules at different timing, we also review recent advances in incorporating compartmentalization into LbL assembly. Existing obstacles to clinical translation of LbL technologies and enabling technologies for future directions are also discussed.

  4. Formulation and Evaluation of Liquid Loaded Tablets Containing ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Containing Docetaxel-Self Nano Emulsifying Drug Delivery ... of docetaxel is a promising approach to achieving a solid dosage form of the .... until freely solubilized drug with stable SNEDDS ... performed using USP dissolution testing.

  5. Data delivery method based on neighbor nodes' information in a mobile ad hoc network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kashihara, Shigeru; Hayashi, Takuma; Taenaka, Yuzo; Okuda, Takeshi; Yamaguchi, Suguru

    2014-01-01

    This paper proposes a data delivery method based on neighbor nodes' information to achieve reliable communication in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET). In a MANET, it is difficult to deliver data reliably due to instabilities in network topology and wireless network condition which result from node movement. To overcome such unstable communication, opportunistic routing and network coding schemes have lately attracted considerable attention. Although an existing method that employs such schemes, MAC-independent opportunistic routing and encoding (MORE), Chachulski et al. (2007), improves the efficiency of data delivery in an unstable wireless mesh network, it does not address node movement. To efficiently deliver data in a MANET, the method proposed in this paper thus first employs the same opportunistic routing and network coding used in MORE and also uses the location information and transmission probabilities of neighbor nodes to adapt to changeable network topology and wireless network condition. The simulation experiments showed that the proposed method can achieve efficient data delivery with low network load when the movement speed is relatively slow.

  6. Data Delivery Method Based on Neighbor Nodes’ Information in a Mobile Ad Hoc Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shigeru Kashihara

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a data delivery method based on neighbor nodes’ information to achieve reliable communication in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET. In a MANET, it is difficult to deliver data reliably due to instabilities in network topology and wireless network condition which result from node movement. To overcome such unstable communication, opportunistic routing and network coding schemes have lately attracted considerable attention. Although an existing method that employs such schemes, MAC-independent opportunistic routing and encoding (MORE, Chachulski et al. (2007, improves the efficiency of data delivery in an unstable wireless mesh network, it does not address node movement. To efficiently deliver data in a MANET, the method proposed in this paper thus first employs the same opportunistic routing and network coding used in MORE and also uses the location information and transmission probabilities of neighbor nodes to adapt to changeable network topology and wireless network condition. The simulation experiments showed that the proposed method can achieve efficient data delivery with low network load when the movement speed is relatively slow.

  7. Efficient Delivery of Scalable Video Using a Streaming Class Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jason J. Quinlan

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available When we couple the rise in video streaming with the growing number of portable devices (smart phones, tablets, laptops, we see an ever-increasing demand for high-definition video online while on the move. Wireless networks are inherently characterised by restricted shared bandwidth and relatively high error loss rates, thus presenting a challenge for the efficient delivery of high quality video. Additionally, mobile devices can support/demand a range of video resolutions and qualities. This demand for mobile streaming highlights the need for adaptive video streaming schemes that can adjust to available bandwidth and heterogeneity, and can provide a graceful changes in video quality, all while respecting viewing satisfaction. In this context, the use of well-known scalable/layered media streaming techniques, commonly known as scalable video coding (SVC, is an attractive solution. SVC encodes a number of video quality levels within a single media stream. This has been shown to be an especially effective and efficient solution, but it fares badly in the presence of datagram losses. While multiple description coding (MDC can reduce the effects of packet loss on scalable video delivery, the increased delivery cost is counterproductive for constrained networks. This situation is accentuated in cases where only the lower quality level is required. In this paper, we assess these issues and propose a new approach called Streaming Classes (SC through which we can define a key set of quality levels, each of which can be delivered in a self-contained manner. This facilitates efficient delivery, yielding reduced transmission byte-cost for devices requiring lower quality, relative to MDC and Adaptive Layer Distribution (ALD (42% and 76% respective reduction for layer 2, while also maintaining high levels of consistent quality. We also illustrate how selective packetisation technique can further reduce the effects of packet loss on viewable quality by

  8. Special Delivery Systems. Self-Esteem Exercises. Learning Disabilities Curriculum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molek, Carol

    This publication contains self-esteem exercises and a learning disabilities (LD) curriculum for students with LD in adult basic education programs. The 37 student exercises are designed to build the self-esteem of students with LD. They include self-evaluations, profiles, and checklists. Topics covered are success, decision making, problem…

  9. Exploring gender differences on general and specific computer self-efficacy in mobile learning adoption

    OpenAIRE

    Bao, Yukun; Xiong, Tao; Hu, Zhongyi; Kibelloh, Mboni

    2014-01-01

    Reasons for contradictory findings regarding the gender moderate effect on computer self-efficacy in the adoption of e-learning/mobile learning are limited. Recognizing the multilevel nature of the computer self-efficacy (CSE), this study attempts to explore gender differences in the adoption of mobile learning, by extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with general and specific CSE. Data collected from 137 university students were tested against the research model using the structur...

  10. VP6-SUMO Self-Assembly as Nanocarriers for Gastrointestinal Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Palmieri

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available High proteolytic degradation and poor absorption through epithelial barriers are major challenges to successful oral delivery of therapeutics. Nanoparticle platforms can enhance drug stability and extend the residence time in gastrointestinal (GI tract. However, drug delivery systems are often inactivated in acidic environment of stomach or suffer poor absorption from intestinal cells due to the mucus layer. To overcome these issues we developed a drug delivery system constituted by a protein construct made by a Rotavirus capsid protein (VP6 and the small ubiquitin-like modifier SUMO. This chimeric construct allows specificity towards intestinal cells, the Rotavirus natural target, combined by an enhanced stability given by the eukaryotic protein transporter SUMO. Furthermore SUMO can act as a molecular switch that facilitates import/export of its ligand to the nucleus, the hypersensitive subcellular site target of many cell killing therapies. In this paper we show that SUMO-VP6 constructs self-assembly into stable nanocarriers. SUMO-VP6 nanocarriers display ideal features for drug delivery: a small size and high monodispersity, a high stability in different pH conditions and a high uptake in the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartment of intestinal cells. These features make SUMO-VP6 nanocarriers a promising novel system for oral delivery of poorly soluble drugs.

  11. Adaptive Content Management for UGC Video Delivery in Mobile Internet Era

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qilin Fan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The demand of storing and transferring user generated content (UGC has been rapidly growing with the popularization of mobile devices equipped with video recording and playback capabilities. As a typical application of software-defined networks/network functions virtualization-based pervasive communications infrastructure, content delivery networks (CDNs have been widely leveraged to distribute contents across different geographical locations. Nevertheless, the content delivery for UGC is inefficient with the existing “pull-based” caching mechanism in traditional CDNs, because there exists a huge volume of lukewarm or cold UGC which results in a low cache hit ratio. In this paper, we propose a “push-based” caching mechanism to efficiently and economically deliver UGC videos. Different from traditional CDNs which separate the original content storage and caching, we directly store UGC videos into selective servers which serve as both reliable storages and user-facing uploading servers. By carefully and dynamically selecting the storage locations of each UGC object based on its popularity and locality, we not only guarantee the data availability but also remarkably improve the content distribution performance and reduce the distribution cost.

  12. Contention aware mobility prediction routing for intermittently connected mobile networks

    KAUST Repository

    Elwhishi, Ahmed; Ho, Pin-Han; Shihada, Basem

    2013-01-01

    This paper introduces a novel multi-copy routing protocol, called predict and forward (PF), for delay tolerant networks, which aims to explore the possibility of using mobile nodes as message carriers for end-to-end delivery of the messages. With PF, the message forwarding decision is made by manipulating the probability distribution of future inter-contact and contact durations based on the network status, including wireless link condition and nodal buffer availability. In particular, PF is based on the observations that the node mobility behavior is semi-deterministic and could be predicted once there is sufficient mobility history information. We implemented the proposed protocol and compared it with a number of existing encounter-based routing approaches in terms of delivery delay, delivery ratio, and the number of transmissions required for message delivery. The simulation results show that PF outperforms all the counterpart multi-copy encounter-based routing protocols considered in the study.

  13. Contention aware mobility prediction routing for intermittently connected mobile networks

    KAUST Repository

    Elwhishi, Ahmed

    2013-04-26

    This paper introduces a novel multi-copy routing protocol, called predict and forward (PF), for delay tolerant networks, which aims to explore the possibility of using mobile nodes as message carriers for end-to-end delivery of the messages. With PF, the message forwarding decision is made by manipulating the probability distribution of future inter-contact and contact durations based on the network status, including wireless link condition and nodal buffer availability. In particular, PF is based on the observations that the node mobility behavior is semi-deterministic and could be predicted once there is sufficient mobility history information. We implemented the proposed protocol and compared it with a number of existing encounter-based routing approaches in terms of delivery delay, delivery ratio, and the number of transmissions required for message delivery. The simulation results show that PF outperforms all the counterpart multi-copy encounter-based routing protocols considered in the study.

  14. Self-assembled polymersomes conjugated with lactoferrin as novel drug carrier for brain delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Yuan; Pang, Zhiqing; Lu, Wei; Yin, Qi; Gao, Huile; Jiang, Xinguo

    2012-01-01

    To develop a novel brain drug delivery system based on self-assembled poly(ethyleneglycol)-poly (D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PEG-PLGA) polymersomes conjugated with lactoferrin (Lf-POS). The brain delivery properties of Lf-POS were investigated and optimized. Three formulations of Lf-POS, with different densities of lactoferrin on the surface of polymersomes, were prepared and characterized. The brain delivery properties in mice were investigated using 6-coumarin as a fluorescent probe loaded in Lf-POS (6-coumarin-Lf-POS). A neuroprotective peptide, S14G-humanin, was incorporated into Lf-POS (SHN-Lf-POS); a protective effect on the hippocampuses of rats treated by Amyloid-β(25-35) was investigated by immunohistochemical analysis. The results of brain delivery in mice demonstrated that the optimized number of lactoferrin conjugated per polymersome was 101. This obtains the greatest blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability surface area(PS) product and percentage of injected dose per gram brain (%ID/g brain). Immunohistochemistry revealed the SHN-Lf-POS had a protective effect on neurons of rats by attenuating the expression of Bax and caspase-3 positive cells. Meanwhile, the activity of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) had been increased compared with negative controls. These results suggest that lactoferrin functionalized self-assembled PEG-PLGA polymersomes could be a promising brain-targeting peptide drug delivery system via intravenous administration.

  15. Technical baseline description of high-level waste and low-activity waste feed mobilization and delivery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Papp, I.G.

    1997-01-01

    This document is a compilation of information related to the high-level waste (HLW) and low-activity waste (LAW) feed staging, mobilization, and transfer/delivery issues. Information relevant to current Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) inventories and activities designed to feed the Phase I Privatization effort at the Hanford Site is included. Discussions on the higher level Phase II activities are offered for a perspective on the interfaces

  16. Rural patients' access to mobile phones and willingness to receive mobile phone-based pharmacy and other health technology services: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sankaranarayanan, Jayashri; Sallach, Rory E

    2014-02-01

    This pilot study explores the patient-centered demand for mobile phone-based health (mobile health [m-health]) services in the rural United States by documenting rural patients' access to mobile phones and patients' willingness to receive m-health services. An anonymous institutional review board-approved survey was completed by patients visiting two rural pharmacies in Nebraska from August to October 2011. Patients who volunteered to complete the survey provided their demographic data, disease state information, health status, mobile phone access, and willingness to receive (in terms of using and giving time to) m-health services. The majority of the 24 survey respondents were 19-40 years old (52%), female (88%), married (63%), with excellent to very good health status (63%), with no comorbidities (83%), with ≤$100 monthly medication expenses (80%), with private insurance (78%), living within 5 miles of their pharmacy (71%), and reporting that m-health services are important to them (75%; 12/16). Approximately 95%, 81%, 73%, and 55% of respondents reported access to a mobile phone, voice mails, text messaging, and mobile phone applications, respectively. Of the respondents, 65%, 57%, 52%, and 48% were willing to receive prerecorded messages for appointment reminders from the doctor, disease information, medication use/self-care information, and symptom monitoring information, respectively. In total, 70%, 63%, 61%, 54%, and 50% were willing to receive prerecorded messages from the pharmacist containing contact requests, new/refill prescription reminders, information on medication problems, reviewing/monitoring of medication use, and medication self-management/preventive screenings/immunizations, respectively. Of 44% (7/16) respondents willing to give time for m-health services, 83% were willing to give 15 min, and 17% were willing to give 30 min every month. By demonstrating rural patients' demand for m-health (including pharmacy) services, this is one of the

  17. Meeting community health worker needs for maternal health care service delivery using appropriate mobile technologies in Ethiopia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alex Little

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Mobile health applications are complex interventions that essentially require changes to the behavior of health care professionals who will use them and changes to systems or processes in delivery of care. Our aim has been to meet the technical needs of Health Extension Workers (HEWs and midwives for maternal health using appropriate mobile technologies tools. METHODS: We have developed and evaluated a set of appropriate smartphone health applications using open source components, including a local language adapted data collection tool, health worker and manager user-friendly dashboard analytics and maternal-newborn protocols. This is an eighteen month follow-up of an ongoing observational research study in the northern of Ethiopia involving two districts, twenty HEWs, and twelve midwives. RESULTS: Most health workers rapidly learned how to use and became comfortable with the touch screen devices so only limited technical support was needed. Unrestricted use of smartphones generated a strong sense of ownership and empowerment among the health workers. Ownership of the phones was a strong motivator for the health workers, who recognised the value and usefulness of the devices, so took care to look after them. A low level of smartphones breakage (8.3%,3 from 36 and loss (2.7% were reported. Each health worker made an average of 160 mins of voice calls and downloaded 27Mb of data per month, however, we found very low usage of short message service (less than 3 per month. CONCLUSIONS: Although it is too early to show a direct link between mobile technologies and health outcomes, mobile technologies allow health managers to more quickly and reliably have access to data which can help identify where there issues in the service delivery. Achieving a strong sense of ownership and empowerment among health workers is a prerequisite for a successful introduction of any mobile health program.

  18. Atomic mobility in liquid and fcc Al-Si-Mg-RE (RE = Ce, Sc) alloys and its application to the simulation of solidification processes in RE-containing A357 alloys

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lu, Zhao; Zhang, Lijun [Central South Univ., Changsha (China). State Key Lab of Powder Metallurgy; Tang, Ying [Thermo-Calc Software AB, Solna (Sweden)

    2017-06-15

    This paper first provides a critical review of experimental and theoretically-predicted diffusivities in both liquid and fcc Al-Si-Mg-RE (RE = Ce, Sc) alloys as-reported by previous researchers. The modified Sutherland equation is then employed to predict self- and impurity diffusivities in Al-Si-Mg-RE melts. The self-diffusivity of metastable fcc Sc is evaluated via the first-principles computed activation energy and semi-empirical relations. Based on the critically-reviewed and presently evaluated diffusivity information, atomic mobility descriptions for liquid and fcc phases in the Al-Si-Mg-RE systems are established by means of the Diffusion-Controlled TRAnsformation (DICTRA) software package. Comprehensive comparisons show that most of the measured and theoretically-predicted diffusivities can be reasonably reproduced by the present atomic mobility descriptions. The atomic mobility descriptions for liquid and fcc Al-Si-Mg-RE alloys are further validated by comparing the model-predicted differential scanning calorimetry curves for RE-containing A357 alloys during solidification against experimental data. Detailed analysis of the curves and microstructures in RE-free and RE-containing A357 alloys indicates that both Ce and Sc can serve as the grain refiner for A357 alloys, and that the grain refinement efficiency of Sc is much higher.

  19. Atomic mobility in liquid and fcc Al-Si-Mg-RE (RE = Ce, Sc) alloys and its application to the simulation of solidification processes in RE-containing A357 alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, Zhao; Zhang, Lijun

    2017-01-01

    This paper first provides a critical review of experimental and theoretically-predicted diffusivities in both liquid and fcc Al-Si-Mg-RE (RE = Ce, Sc) alloys as-reported by previous researchers. The modified Sutherland equation is then employed to predict self- and impurity diffusivities in Al-Si-Mg-RE melts. The self-diffusivity of metastable fcc Sc is evaluated via the first-principles computed activation energy and semi-empirical relations. Based on the critically-reviewed and presently evaluated diffusivity information, atomic mobility descriptions for liquid and fcc phases in the Al-Si-Mg-RE systems are established by means of the Diffusion-Controlled TRAnsformation (DICTRA) software package. Comprehensive comparisons show that most of the measured and theoretically-predicted diffusivities can be reasonably reproduced by the present atomic mobility descriptions. The atomic mobility descriptions for liquid and fcc Al-Si-Mg-RE alloys are further validated by comparing the model-predicted differential scanning calorimetry curves for RE-containing A357 alloys during solidification against experimental data. Detailed analysis of the curves and microstructures in RE-free and RE-containing A357 alloys indicates that both Ce and Sc can serve as the grain refiner for A357 alloys, and that the grain refinement efficiency of Sc is much higher.

  20. Reliability of Self-Reported Mobile Phone Ownership in Rural North-Central Nigeria: Cross-Sectional Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menson, William Nii Ayitey; Olawepo, John Olajide; Bruno, Tamara; Gbadamosi, Semiu Olatunde; Nalda, Nannim Fazing; Anyebe, Victor; Ogidi, Amaka; Onoka, Chima; Oko, John Okpanachi; Ezeanolue, Echezona Edozie

    2018-03-01

    mHealth practitioners seek to leverage the ubiquity of the mobile phone to increase the impact and robustness of their interventions, particularly in resource-limited settings. However, data on the reliability of self-reported mobile phone access is minimal. We sought to ascertain the reliability of self-reported ownership of and access to mobile phones among a population of rural dwellers in north-central Nigeria. We contacted participants in a community-based HIV testing program by phone to determine actual as opposed to self-reported mobile phone access. A phone script was designed to conduct these calls and descriptive analyses conducted on the findings. We dialed 349 numbers: 110 (31.5%) were answered by participants who self-reported ownership of the mobile phone; 123 (35.2%) of the phone numbers did not ring at all; 28 (8.0%) rang but were not answered; and 88 (25.2%) were answered by someone other than the participant. We reached a higher proportion of male participants (68/133, 51.1%) than female participants (42/216, 19.4%; Pphones in rural and low-income areas in north-central Nigeria is higher than actual access. This has implications for mHealth programming, particularly for women's health. mHealth program implementers and researchers need to be cognizant of the low reliability of self-reported mobile phone access. These observations should therefore affect sample-size calculations and, where possible, alternative means of reaching research participants and program beneficiaries should be established. ©William Nii Ayitey Menson, John Olajide Olawepo, Tamara Bruno, Semiu Olatunde Gbadamosi, Nannim Fazing Nalda, Victor Anyebe, Amaka Ogidi, Chima Onoka, John Okpanachi Oko, Echezona Edozie Ezeanolue. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 01.03.2018.

  1. Designing thiophene-based azomethine oligomers with tailored properties: Self-assembly and charge carrier mobility

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kiriy, N.; Bocharova, V.; Kiriy, A.

    2004-01-01

    This paper describes synthesis and characterization of two thiophene-based azomethines designed to optimize solubility, self-assembly, and charge carrier mobility. We found that incorporation of azomethine and amide moieties in the alpha,omega-position, and hexyl chains in the beta-position of th...... with the mobilities of the best organic semiconductors. All these significant differences in properties of related compounds can be attributed to the hydrogen bonding between QT-amide molecules responsible for the observed self-assembly....

  2. Time will tell: The role of mobile learning analytics in self-regulated learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tabuenca, Bernardo; Kalz, Marco; Drachsler, Hendrik; Specht, Marcus

    2015-01-01

    This longitudinal study explores the effects of tracking and monitoring time devoted to learn with a mobile tool, on self-regulated learning. Graduate students (n = 36) from three different online courses used their own mobile devices to track how much time they devoted to learn over a period of

  3. Self-Amplifying Replicon RNA Vaccine Delivery to Dendritic Cells by Synthetic Nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kenneth C. McCullough

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Dendritic cells (DC play essential roles determining efficacy of vaccine delivery with respect to immune defence development and regulation. This renders DCs important targets for vaccine delivery, particularly RNA vaccines. While delivery of interfering RNA oligonucleotides to the appropriate intracellular sites for RNA-interference has proven successful, the methodologies are identical for RNA vaccines, which require delivery to RNA translation sites. Delivery of mRNA has benefitted from application of cationic entities; these offer value following endocytosis of RNA, when cationic or amphipathic properties can promote endocytic vesicle membrane perturbation to facilitate cytosolic translocation. The present review presents how such advances are being applied to the delivery of a new form of RNA vaccine, replicons (RepRNA carrying inserted foreign genes of interest encoding vaccine antigens. Approaches have been developed for delivery to DCs, leading to the translation of the RepRNA and encoded vaccine antigens both in vitro and in vivo. Potential mechanisms favouring efficient delivery leading to translation are discussed with respect to the DC endocytic machinery, showing the importance of cytosolic translocation from acidifying endocytic structures. The review relates the DC endocytic pathways to immune response induction, and the potential advantages for these self-replicating RNA vaccines in the near future.

  4. Thermo-responsive human α-elastin self-assembled nanoparticles for protein delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jae Dong; Jung, Youn Jae; Woo, Chang Hee; Choi, Young Chan; Choi, Ji Suk; Cho, Yong Woo

    2017-01-01

    Self-assembled nanoparticles based on PEGylated human α-elastin were prepared as a potential vehicle for sustained protein delivery. The α-elastin was extracted from human adipose tissue and modified with methoxypolyethyleneglycol (mPEG) to control particle size and enhance the colloidal stability. The PEGylated human α-elastin showed sol-to-particle transition with a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 25°C-40°C in aqueous media. The PEGylated human α-elastin nanoparticles (PhENPs) showed a narrow size distribution with an average diameter of 330±33nm and were able to encapsulate significant amounts of insulin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) upon simple mixing at low temperature in water and subsequent heating to physiological temperature. The release profiles of insulin and BSA showed sustained release for 72h. Overall, the thermo-responsive self-assembled PhENPs provide a useful tool for a range of protein delivery and tissue engineering applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Relationship between delivery history and health-related quality of life in menopausal South Korean women: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Jeong In; Han, Kyung-do; Kim, Sa Jin; Kim, Min Jeong; Shin, Jae Eun; Lee, Hae Nam

    2016-10-01

    The study investigated the association between childbirth history and health-related quality of life (QOL) in menopausal South Korean women. Cross-sectional analysis of data from the 2010-2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) for 4277 menopausal women aged over 50. We used the EuroQol index to measure health-related QOL. The relationship between delivery history and health-related QOL in menopausal South Korean women was analyzed. After adjustment for age (model 1), women who were younger at their first delivery and who had a greater number of deliveries had a significantly higher risk of problems with mobility, self-care, usual activities and pain or discomfort; the risk of anxiety or depression was not increased. After adjustment for age, BMI, smoking, use of alcohol, exercise, income, education, marital status, metabolic syndrome and stress (model 2), women who were younger at their first delivery and who had a greater number of deliveries had a significantly higher risk of problems with mobility, self-care and pain or discomfort. Age at last delivery was not significantly associated with health-related QOL in either model. South Korean women who were younger at their first delivery and who had more deliveries appear to be at increased risk of health-related QOL problems after menopause. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Preparation and evaluation of nattokinase-loaded self-double-emulsifying drug delivery system

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Xiaona; Jiang, Sifan; Wang, Xinyue; Liao, Jie; Yin, Zongning

    2015-01-01

    In the present study, we prepared nattokinase-loaded self-double-emulsifying drug delivery system (SDEDDS) and investigated its preliminary pharmacodynamics. The type and concentration of oil phase, inner aqueous phase and emulsifier were screened to prepare optimum nattokinase-loaded SDEDDS. Next, the optimum formulations were characterized based on microstructure, volume-weighted mean droplet size, self-emulsifying rate, yield, storage stability, in vitro release and in vivo pharmacodynamic...

  7. Self-Assembling Multifunctional Peptide Dimers for Gene Delivery Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kitae Ryu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Self-assembling multifunctional peptide was designed for gene delivery systems. The multifunctional peptide (MP consists of cellular penetrating peptide moiety (R8, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2 specific sequence (GPLGV, pH-responsive moiety (H5, and hydrophobic moiety (palmitic acid (CR8GPLGVH5-Pal. MP was oxidized to form multifunctional peptide dimer (MPD by DMSO oxidation of thiols in terminal cysteine residues. MPD could condense pDNA successfully at a weight ratio of 5. MPD itself could self-assemble into submicron micelle particles via hydrophobic interaction, of which critical micelle concentration is about 0.01 mM. MPD showed concentration-dependent but low cytotoxicity in comparison with PEI25k. MPD polyplexes showed low transfection efficiency in HEK293 cells expressing low level of MMP-2 but high transfection efficiency in A549 and C2C12 cells expressing high level of MMP-2, meaning the enhanced transfection efficiency probably due to MMP-induced structural change of polyplexes. Bafilomycin A1-treated transfection results suggest that the transfection of MPD is mediated via endosomal escape by endosome buffering ability. These results show the potential of MPD for MMP-2 targeted gene delivery systems due to its multifunctionality.

  8. Formulation and development of a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system of irbesartan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaydeep Patel

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Irbesartan (IRB is an angiotensin II receptor blocker antihypertensive agent. The aim of the present investigation was to develop a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS to enhance the oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble IRB. The solubility of IRB in various oils was determined to identify the oil phase of SNEDDS. Various surfactants and co-surfactants were screened for their ability to emulsify the selected oil. Pseudoternary phase diagrams were constructed to identify the efficient self-emulsifying region. The optimized SNEDDS formulation contained IRB (75 mg, Cremophor® EL (43.33%, Carbitol® (21.67% and Capryol® 90 (32%. SNEDDS was further evaluated for its percentage transmittance, emulsification time, drug content, phase separation, dilution, droplet size and zeta potential. The optimized formulation of IRB-loaded SNEDDS exhibited complete in vitro drug release in 15 min as compared with the plain drug, which had a limited dissolution rate. It was also compared with the pure drug solution by oral administration in male Wister rats. The in vivo study exhibited a 7.5-fold increase in the oral bioavailability of IRB from SNEDDS compared with the pure drug solution. These results suggest the potential use of SNEDDS to improve dissolution and oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble IRB.

  9. Design, Characterization, and Optimization of Controlled Drug Delivery System Containing Antibiotic Drug/s

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Apurv Patel

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this work was design, characterization, and optimization of controlled drug delivery system containing antibiotic drug/s. Osmotic drug delivery system was chosen as controlled drug delivery system. The porous osmotic pump tablets were designed using Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken factorial design to find out the best formulation. For screening of three categories of polymers, six independent variables were chosen for Plackett-Burman design. Osmotic agent sodium chloride and microcrystalline cellulose, pore forming agent sodium lauryl sulphate and sucrose, and coating agent ethyl cellulose and cellulose acetate were chosen as independent variables. Optimization of osmotic tablets was done by Box-Behnken design by selecting three independent variables. Osmotic agent sodium chloride, pore forming agent sodium lauryl sulphate, and coating agent cellulose acetate were chosen as independent variables. The result of Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken design and ANOVA studies revealed that osmotic agent and pore former had significant effect on the drug release up to 12 hr. The observed independent variables were found to be very close to predicted values of most satisfactory formulation which demonstrates the feasibility of the optimization procedure in successful development of porous osmotic pump tablets containing antibiotic drug/s by using sodium chloride, sodium lauryl sulphate, and cellulose acetate as key excipients.

  10. Validating self-reported mobile phone use in adults using a newly developed smartphone application

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Goedhart, Geertje; Kromhout, Hans; Wiart, Joe; Vermeulen, Roel

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Interpretation of epidemiological studies on health effects from mobile phone use is hindered by uncertainties in the exposure assessment. We used a newly developed smartphone application (app) to validate self-reported mobile phone use and behaviour among adults. METHODS: 107

  11. Vacuum Mechatronics And Insvection For Self-Contained Manufacturing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belinski, Steve E.; Shirazi, Majid; Seidel, Thomas E.; Hackwood, Susan

    1990-02-01

    The vacuum environment is increasingly being used in manufacturing operations, especially in the semiconductor industry. Shrinking linewidths and feature sizes dictate that cleanliness standards become continually more strict. Studies at the Center for Robotic Systems in Microelectronics (CRSM) indicate that a controlled vacuum enclosure can provide a superior clean environment. In addition, since many microelectronic fabrication steps are already carried out under vacuum, self-contained multichamber processing systems are being developed at a rapid pace. CRSM support of these systems includes the development of a research system, the Self-contained Automated Robotic Factory (SCARF), a vacuum-compatible robot, and investigations of particulate characterization in vacuum and inspection for multichamber systems. Successful development of complex and expensive multichamber systems is, to a great extent, dependent upon the discipline called vacuum mechatronics, which includes the design and development of vacuum-compatible computer-controlled mechanisms for manipulating, sensing and testing in a vacuum environment. Here the constituents of the vacuum mechatronics discipline are defined and reviewed in the context of the importance to self-contained in-vacuum manufacturing.

  12. Contention Aware Routing for Intermittently Connected Mobile Networks

    KAUST Repository

    Elwhishi, Ahmed; Ho, Pin Han; Naik, Sagar; Shihada, Basem

    2011-01-01

    This paper introduces a novel multi-copy routing protocol, called Self Adaptive Utility-based Routing Protocol (SAURP), for Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs) that are possibly composed of a vast number of miniature devices such as smart phones, hand-held devices, and sensors mounted in fixed or mobile objects. SAURP aims to explore the possibility of taking mobile nodes as message carriers in order for end-to-end delivery of the messages. The best carrier for a message is determined by the prediction result using a novel contact model, where the network status, including wireless link condition and nodal buffer availability, are jointly considered. The paper argues and proves that the nodal movement and the predicted collocation with the message recipient can serve as meaningful information to achieve an intelligent message forwarding decision at each node. The proposed protocol has been implemented and compared with a number of existing encounter-based routing approaches in terms of delivery delay, and the number of transmissions required for message delivery. The simulation results show that the proposed SAURP outperforms all the counterpart multi-copy encounter-based routing protocols considered in the study.

  13. Contention Aware Routing for Intermittently Connected Mobile Networks

    KAUST Repository

    Elwhishi, Ahmed

    2011-08-21

    This paper introduces a novel multi-copy routing protocol, called Self Adaptive Utility-based Routing Protocol (SAURP), for Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs) that are possibly composed of a vast number of miniature devices such as smart phones, hand-held devices, and sensors mounted in fixed or mobile objects. SAURP aims to explore the possibility of taking mobile nodes as message carriers in order for end-to-end delivery of the messages. The best carrier for a message is determined by the prediction result using a novel contact model, where the network status, including wireless link condition and nodal buffer availability, are jointly considered. The paper argues and proves that the nodal movement and the predicted collocation with the message recipient can serve as meaningful information to achieve an intelligent message forwarding decision at each node. The proposed protocol has been implemented and compared with a number of existing encounter-based routing approaches in terms of delivery delay, and the number of transmissions required for message delivery. The simulation results show that the proposed SAURP outperforms all the counterpart multi-copy encounter-based routing protocols considered in the study.

  14. BodiMojo: Efficacy of a Mobile-Based Intervention in Improving Body Image and Self-Compassion among Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodgers, Rachel F; Donovan, Elizabeth; Cousineau, Tara; Yates, Kayla; McGowan, Kayla; Cook, Elizabeth; Lowy, Alice S; Franko, Debra L

    2018-01-18

    Mobile interventions promoting positive body image are lacking. This study presents a randomized controlled evaluation of BodiMojo, a mobile application (app) intervention grounded in self-compassion to promote positive body image. A sample of 274 adolescents, mean (SD) age = 18.36 (1.34) years, 74% female, were allocated to a control group or used BodiMojo for 6 weeks. Appearance esteem, body image flexibility, appearance comparison, mood, and self-compassion were assessed at baseline, 6, and 12 weeks. Significant time by group interactions emerged for appearance esteem and self-compassion, with appearance esteem and self-compassion increasing in the intervention relative to the control group. These findings provide preliminary support for BodiMojo, a cost-effective mobile app for positive body image.

  15. DNA Trojan Horses: Self-Assembled Floxuridine-Containing DNA Polyhedra for Cancer Therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mou, Quanbing; Ma, Yuan; Pan, Gaifang; Xue, Bai; Yan, Deyue; Zhang, Chuan; Zhu, Xinyuan

    2017-10-02

    Based on their structural similarity to natural nucleobases, nucleoside analogue therapeutics were integrated into DNA strands through conventional solid-phase synthesis. By elaborately designing their sequences, floxuridine-integrated DNA strands were synthesized and self-assembled into well-defined DNA polyhedra with definite drug-loading ratios as well as tunable size and morphology. As a novel drug delivery system, these drug-containing DNA polyhedra could ideally mimic the Trojan Horse to deliver chemotherapeutics into tumor cells and fight against cancer. Both in vitro and in vivo results demonstrate that the DNA Trojan horse with buckyball architecture exhibits superior anticancer capability over the free drug and other formulations. With precise control over the drug-loading ratio and structure of the nanocarriers, the DNA Trojan horse may play an important role in anticancer treatment and exhibit great potential in translational nanomedicine. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Are we sure that Mobile Health is really mobile? An examination of mobile device use during two remotely-delivered weight loss interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner-McGrievy, Gabrielle M; Tate, Deborah F

    2014-05-01

    The "m" in mHealth is often thought of as the ability to receive health information and monitor behaviors on the go. Little is known about how people actually use mobile vs. traditional access methods and if access method affects engagement and health outcomes. This study examines the 3-month outcomes of two mobile weight loss interventions (Pounds Off Digitally (POD) and mobile POD (mPOD)) where participants were required to own a mobile device for study entry and received weight loss information via podcast. Only participants in both studies who were randomized to receive the same theory-based podcast (TBP) were used in this analysis. In POD, 41 participants were randomized to the TBP condition (37 to a control not included in this analyses). In mPOD, 49 participants were randomized to the TBP (n=49) and 47 to the TBP+mobile group (a self-monitoring app and Twitter app for social support). The goal of this study is to examine how participants accessed study components and to examine how type of device impacts engagement and weight loss. Examining data from both studies in aggregate, despite a mobile delivery method, 58% of participants reported using a non-mobile device to access the majority of the podcasts (desktop computers), 76% accessed the podcasts mostly at their home or work, and 62% were mainly non-mobile (e.g., sitting at work) when listening. Examining objective download data for mPOD, 49% of downloads (2889/5944) originated from non-mobile delivery methods vs. mobile platforms (3055/5944). At 3 months, 55% of Twitter posts originated from the website (n=665 posts) vs. a mobile app (n=540; 45%). There was no difference in the number of podcasts participants reported listening to by device. There were more Twitter posts by mobile app users (51±11) than Twitter website users (23±6, p<0.05). There was a trend (p=0.055) in greater weight loss among mobile users for podcasts (-3.5±0.5%) as compared to non-mobile users (-2.5±0.5%). Weight loss was

  17. Lecithin/TPGS-based spray-dried self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems: In vitro pulmonary deposition and cytotoxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishak, Rania A H; Osman, Rihab

    2015-05-15

    The aim of the present work was to develop a new solid self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) for the pulmonary delivery of the poorly water-soluble anti-cancer drug atorvastatin (AVT). Microemulsion (ME) was first developed using isopropyl myristate (IPM), a combination of 2 biocompatible surfactants: lecithin/d-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) and ethanol as co-surfactant. Two types of lecithin with different phosphatidylcholine (PC) contents were compared. Phase diagram, physico-chemical characterization and stability studies were used to investigate ME region. Solid SMEDDS were then prepared by spray-drying the selected ME using a combination of carriers composed of sugars, leucine as dispersibility enhancer with or without polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000. Yield, flow properties, particle size and in vitro pulmonary deposition were used to characterize the spray-dried powders. Reconstituted MEs were characterized in terms of morphology, particle size and size distribution. In vitro cytotoxicity study was undertaken on lung cancer cell line for the selected MEs and SD-SMEDDS formulae. Results showed that the most satisfactory MEs properties were obtained with 1:3 lecithin/TPGS, 1:1 lecithin/oil and 1:1 surfactant/co-surfactant ratios. A larger ME area was obtained with lecithin containing 100% PC compared to the less expensive lecithin containing 20% PC. By manipulating spray drying parameters, carrier composition and ratio of ME lipids to carrier, microparticles with more than 70% of respirable fraction could be prepared. The ME was efficiently recovered in simulated lung fluid even after removal of alcohol. The concurrent delivery of AVT with TPGS in solid SMEDDS greatly enhanced the cytotoxic activity on lung cancer cells. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. The Effects of an Interactive Nursing Skills Mobile Application on Nursing Students' Knowledge, Self-efficacy, and Skills Performance: A Randomized Controlled Trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hyunsun Kim, MSN, RN

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Clinical nursing practice is important because it helps nursing students experience realities of clinical nursing that cannot be learned through theoretical education. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an interactive nursing skills mobile application for nursing students. Methods: Sixty-six senior nursing students were randomly assigned to experimental or control groups. The experimental group used an interactive nursing skills mobile application for 1 week. The control group was provided with a mobile application containing noninteractive nursing video contents for 1 week. Before (pre-test and 1 week after (post-test using the mobile application, participants' knowledge of clinical nursing skills, self-efficacy of nursing practice, and nursing skills performance were assessed. Results: The experimental group showed a significantly higher value for knowledge after 1 week of treatment via their mobile application than the control group (t = 3.34, p = .001. In addition, they showed significantly improved self-efficacy before and after intervention (t = 2.46, p = .017 than the control group. The experimental group's nursing skills performance was also significantly enhanced after intervention (t = 7.05, p < .001, with a significant difference in the degree of improvement (t = 4.47, p < .001. Conclusion: The interactive learner-centered nursing education mobile application with systematic contents was an effective method for students to experience practical nursing skills. Developing and applying a mobile application with other nursing contents that can be effectively used across all range of nursing students is recommended. Keywords: interactive learning, mobile applications, nursing education, nursing student, practical nursing

  19. Foam-Delivery of Remedial Amendments for Enhanced Vadose Zone Metals and Radionuclides Remediation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhong, L.; Szecsody, J.E.; Dresel, P.E.; Zhang, Z.F.; Qafoku, N.P.

    2009-01-01

    The remediation of metals and radionuclides contamination, such as Cr(VI), Tc-99, and Sr-90 in the U.S. DOE Hanford Site vadose zone is a critical need. Water-based remedial amendments delivery to the deep vadose zone is facing significant technical challenges. Water-based delivery will easily leach out the highly mobile pollutants therefore contaminate the underlying aquifer. Preferential flow of the amendment-laden solution in the vadose zone due to the formation heterogeneity is difficult to overcome, resulting in bypassing of the less permeable zones. Foam has unique transport properties in the vadose zone that enable mitigation on the mobilization of mobile contaminants and enhance the sweeping over heterogeneous systems. Calcium polysulfide (CPS) is a remedial amendment that can be used to reduce and immobilize hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] and other redox-sensitive radionuclides/metals in the vadose zone. The delivery of CPS to the vadose zone using foam and the immobilization of Cr(VI) via reduction by the foam-delivered CPS was investigated in this study. Batch tests were conducted to select the foam-generating CPS-surfactant solutions, to determine the solution foamability and the reducing potential of CPS-containing foams, and to study the influence of foam quality, surfactant concentration, and CPS concentration on foam stability. Column experiments were performed to test the foam delivery of CPS to sediments under conditions similar to field vadose zone, to study the foam transport and interaction with sediments, and to determine the extent of Cr(VI) immobilization using this novel delivery approach. CPS-containing foams with high reducing potential were prepared based on the batch tests. Sediment reduction by foam-delivered CPS was observed in the column studies. Significant mobilization of Cr(VI) from sediments occurred when CPS was delivered in aqueous solution. The Cr(VI) mobilization was minimized when CPS was delivered by foams, resulting in

  20. Strengthening malaria service delivery through supportive supervision and community mobilization in an endemic Indian setting: an evaluation of nested delivery models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Ashis; Friedman, Jed; Kandpal, Eeshani; Ramana, Gandham N V; Gupta, Rudra Kumar Das; Pradhan, Madan M; Govindaraj, Ramesh

    2014-12-08

    Malaria continues to be a prominent global public health challenge. This study tested the effectiveness of two service delivery models for reducing the malaria burden, e.g. supportive supervision of community health workers (CHW) and community mobilization in promoting appropriate health-seeking behaviour for febrile illnesses in Odisha, India. The study population comprised 120 villages from two purposively chosen malaria-endemic districts, with 40 villages randomly assigned to each of the two treatment arms, one with both supportive supervision and community mobilization and one with community mobilization alone, as well as an observational control arm. Outcome measures included changes in the utilization of bed nets and timely care-seeking for fever from a trained provider compared to the control group. Analysis was by intention-to-treat. Significant improvements were observed in the reported utilization of bed nets in both intervention arms (84.5% in arm A and 82.4% in arm B versus 78.6% in the control arm; p skilled provider within 24 hours than fever cases from the control arm (50.1%). In particular, women from the combined interventions arm were more likely to have received timely treatment from a skilled provider (61.6% vs. 47.2%; p = 0.028). A community-based intervention combining the supportive supervision of community health workers with intensive community mobilization and can be effective in improving care-seeking and preventive behaviour and may be used to strengthen the national malaria control programme.

  1. A soft robot capable of 2D mobility and self-sensing for obstacle detection and avoidance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Lei; Tang, Yucheng; Gupta, Ujjaval; Zhu, Jian

    2018-04-01

    Soft robots have shown great potential for surveillance applications due to their interesting attributes including inherent flexibility, extreme adaptability, and excellent ability to move in confined spaces. High mobility combined with the sensing systems that can detect obstacles plays a significant role in performing surveillance tasks. Extensive studies have been conducted on movement mechanisms of traditional hard-bodied robots to increase their mobility. However, there are limited efforts in the literature to explore the mobility of soft robots. In addition, little attempt has been made to study the obstacle-detection capability of a soft mobile robot. In this paper, we develop a soft mobile robot capable of high mobility and self-sensing for obstacle detection and avoidance. This robot, consisting of a dielectric elastomer actuator as the robot body and four electroadhesion actuators as the robot feet, can generate 2D mobility, i.e. translations and turning in a 2D plane, by programming the actuation sequence of the robot body and feet. Furthermore, we develop a self-sensing method which models the robot body as a deformable capacitor. By measuring the real-time capacitance of the robot body, the robot can detect an obstacle when the peak capacitance drops suddenly. This sensing method utilizes the robot body itself instead of external sensors to achieve detection of obstacles, which greatly reduces the weight and complexity of the robot system. The 2D mobility and self-sensing capability ensure the success of obstacle detection and avoidance, which paves the way for the development of lightweight and intelligent soft mobile robots.

  2. Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement (ACME) / Automated Construction of Expeditionary Structures (ACES) Materials Delivery System (MDS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mueller, R. P.; Townsend, I. I.; Tamasy, G. J.; Evers, C. J.; Sibille, L. J.; Edmunson, J. E.; Fiske, M. R.; Fikes, J. C.; Case, M.

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of the Automated Construction of Expeditionary Structures, Phase 3 (ACES 3) project is to incorporate the Liquid Goods Delivery System (LGDS) into the Dry Goods Delivery System (DGDS) structure to create an integrated and automated Materials Delivery System (MDS) for 3D printing structures with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete. ACES 3 is a prototype for 3-D printing barracks for soldiers in forward bases, here on Earth. The LGDS supports ACES 3 by storing liquid materials, mixing recipe batches of liquid materials, and working with the Dry Goods Feed System (DGFS) previously developed for ACES 2, combining the materials that are eventually extruded out of the print nozzle. Automated Construction of Expeditionary Structures, Phase 3 (ACES 3) is a project led by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and supported by NASA. The equivalent 3D printing system for construction in space is designated Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement (ACME) by NASA.

  3. Addressing user expectations in mobile content delivery

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Agboma, F.; Liotta, A.

    2007-01-01

    Multimedia services like television programs and live streaming of mobile videos can be delivered to mobile terminals via different access technologies. The question is – how do users perceive such services on mobile terminals? The objective of this study is to find the correlation between video

  4. Mobile Anomaly Detection Based on Improved Self-Organizing Maps

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chunyong Yin

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Anomaly detection has always been the focus of researchers and especially, the developments of mobile devices raise new challenges of anomaly detection. For example, mobile devices can keep connection with Internet and they are rarely turned off even at night. This means mobile devices can attack nodes or be attacked at night without being perceived by users and they have different characteristics from Internet behaviors. The introduction of data mining has made leaps forward in this field. Self-organizing maps, one of famous clustering algorithms, are affected by initial weight vectors and the clustering result is unstable. The optimal method of selecting initial clustering centers is transplanted from K-means to SOM. To evaluate the performance of improved SOM, we utilize diverse datasets and KDD Cup99 dataset to compare it with traditional one. The experimental results show that improved SOM can get higher accuracy rate for universal datasets. As for KDD Cup99 dataset, it achieves higher recall rate and precision rate.

  5. Self-reported walking ability predicts functional mobility performance in frail older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, N B; Guire, K E; Thelen, D G; Ashton-Miller, J A; Schultz, A B; Grunawalt, J C; Giordani, B

    2000-11-01

    To determine how self-reported physical function relates to performance in each of three mobility domains: walking, stance maintenance, and rising from chairs. Cross-sectional analysis of older adults. University-based laboratory and community-based congregate housing facilities. Two hundred twenty-one older adults (mean age, 79.9 years; range, 60-102 years) without clinical evidence of dementia (mean Folstein Mini-Mental State score, 28; range, 24-30). We compared the responses of these older adults on a questionnaire battery used by the Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (EPESE) project, to performance on mobility tasks of graded difficulty. Responses to the EPESE battery included: (1) whether assistance was required to perform seven Katz activities of daily living (ADL) items, specifically with walking and transferring; (2) three Rosow-Breslau items, including the ability to walk up stairs and walk a half mile; and (3) five Nagi items, including difficulty stooping, reaching, and lifting objects. The performance measures included the ability to perform, and time taken to perform, tasks in three summary score domains: (1) walking ("Walking," seven tasks, including walking with an assistive device, turning, stair climbing, tandem walking); (2) stance maintenance ("Stance," six tasks, including unipedal, bipedal, tandem, and maximum lean); and (3) chair rise ("Chair Rise," six tasks, including rising from a variety of seat heights with and without the use of hands for assistance). A total score combines scores in each Walking, Stance, and Chair Rise domain. We also analyzed how cognitive/ behavioral factors such as depression and self-efficacy related to the residuals from the self-report and performance-based ANOVA models. Rosow-Breslau items have the strongest relationship with the three performance domains, Walking, Stance, and Chair Rise (eta-squared ranging from 0.21 to 0.44). These three performance domains are as strongly

  6. A Mobile Self-Reconfigurable Microrobot with Power and Communication Relays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dawei Zhang

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available A modular mobile self-reconfigurable microrobot is developed to enlarge the whole surveillance range of mobile microrobot. The microrobot is designed as differential driven vehicle equipped with a passive universal connector with autonomic engagement/disengagement function, and actuated by MEMS-based electromagnetic micromotors. To realize that the microrobot is autonomous, its electrical system is designed in modularity and integrated. A simple autonomous docking approach based on infrared sensors is presented. Experimental results verify high efficiency and reliability of the proposed docking method, and demonstrate the improved ability of performing large-range vision-based surveillance by power and communication relays.

  7. A Mobile Self-reconfigurable Microrobot with Power and Communication Relays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dawei Zhang

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available A modular mobile self-reconfigurable microrobot is developed to enlarge the whole surveillance range of mobile microrobot. The microrobot is designed as differential driven vehicle equipped with a passive universal connector with autonomic engagement/disengagement function, and actuated by MEMS-based electromagnetic micromotors. To realize that the microrobot is autonomous, its electrical system is designed in modularity and integrated. A simple autonomous docking approach based on infrared sensors is presented. Experimental results verify high efficiency and reliability of the proposed docking method, and demonstrate the improved ability of performing large-range vision-based surveillance by power and communication relays.

  8. Validated spectrofluorometric method for determination of gemfibrozil in self nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sierra Villar, Ana M.; Calpena Campmany, Ana C.; Bellowa, Lyda Halbaut; Trenchs, Monserrat Aróztegui; Naveros, Beatriz Clares

    2013-09-01

    A spectrofluorometric method has been developed and validated for the determination of gemfibrozil. The method is based on the excitation and emission capacities of gemfibrozil with excitation and emission wavelengths of 276 and 304 nm respectively. This method allows de determination of the drug in a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) for improve its intestinal absorption. Results obtained showed linear relationships with good correlation coefficients (r2 > 0.999) and low limits of detection and quantification (LOD of 0.075 μg mL-1 and LOQ of 0.226 μg mL-1) in the range of 0.2-5 μg mL-1, equally this method showed a good robustness and stability. Thus the amounts of gemfibrozil released from SNEDDS contained in gastro resistant hard gelatine capsules were analysed, and release studies could be performed satisfactorily.

  9. Self-Micro Emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems: a Strategy to Improve Oral Bioavailability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vijay K. Sharma

    Full Text Available Aim: Oral route has always been the favorite route of drug administration in many diseases and till today it is the first way investigated in the development of new dosage forms. The major problem in oral drug formulations is low and erratic bioavailability, which mainly results from poor aqueous solubility, thereby pose problems in their formulation. For the therapeutic delivery of lipophilic active moieties (BCS class II drugs, lipid based formulations are inviting increasing attention. Methods: To that aim, from the web sites of PubMed, HCAplus, Thomson, and Registry were used as the main sources to perform the search for the most significant research articles published on the subject. The information was then carefully analyzed, highlighting the most important results in the formulation and development of self-micro emulsifying drug delivery systems as well as its therapeutic activity. Results: Self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS has gained more attention due to enhanced oral bio-availability enabling reduction in dose, more consistent temporal profiles of drug absorption, selective targeting of drug(s toward specific absorption window in GIT, and protection of drug(s from the unreceptive environment in gut. Conclusions: This article gives a complete overview of SMEDDS as a promising approach to effectively deal with the problem of poorly soluble molecules.

  10. The Relative Importance of Motives for International Self-Initiated Mobility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorn, Kaye

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to explore the relative importance of the motives and sub-motives which influence a highly educated individual's decision to move across global boundaries. Design/methodology/approach: The approach takes a multi-dimensional perspective of mobility, resulting in the development of a range of motives for self-initiated…

  11. Biogas container - mobile plant concept for the decentralized power generation; Biogascontainer. Mobiles Anlagenkonzept zur dezentralen Energiegewinnung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Warncke, Jessica; Orth, Maik [Innovations- und Bildungszentrum Hohen Luckow e.V., Hohen Luckow (Germany); Schlegel, Mathias [Rostock Univ. (Germany); Steinhagen, Katrin [ROSOMA GmbH, Rostock-Marienehe (Germany)

    2011-07-01

    In the framework of a cooperation project of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology was developed a small biogas system, that is concepted in the order of a 40-foot standard container, that is modular structured, works energy-independent and optional can be used mobile. First rank the system was designed for biogas production in developing and emerging countries. Now there are inter alia also concrete inquiries of german partners. (orig.)

  12. Instrument for assessing mobile technology acceptability in diabetes self-management: a validation and reliability study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frandes, Mirela; Deiac, Anca V; Timar, Bogdan; Lungeanu, Diana

    2017-01-01

    Nowadays, mobile technologies are part of everyday life, but the lack of instruments to assess their acceptability for the management of chronic diseases makes their actual adoption for this purpose slow. The objective of this study was to develop a survey instrument for assessing patients' attitude toward and intention to use mobile technology for diabetes mellitus (DM) self-management, as well as to identify sociodemographic characteristics and quality of life factors that affect them. We first conducted the documentation and instrument design phases, which were subsequently followed by the pilot study and instrument validation. Afterward, the instrument was administered 103 patients (median age: 37 years; range: 18-65 years) diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 DM, who accepted to participate in the study. The reliability and construct validity were assessed by computing Cronbach's alpha and using factor analysis, respectively. The instrument included statements about the actual use of electronic devices for DM management, interaction between patient and physician, attitude toward using mobile technology, and quality of life evaluation. Cronbach's alpha was 0.9 for attitude toward using mobile technology and 0.97 for attitude toward using mobile device applications for DM self-management. Younger patients (Spearman's ρ =-0.429; P higher education level (Kendall's τ =0.51; P mobile assistive applications for DM control. Moreover, patients with a higher quality of life presented a significantly more positive attitude toward using modern technology (Spearman's ρ =0.466; P mobile technology for DM self-management. Additionally, we found that even if most of the patients showed positive attitude toward mobile applications, only a moderate level of intention to indeed use them was observed. Moreover, the study indicated that barriers were truthfulness and easiness to use.

  13. In vitro and in vivo performance of monoacyl phospholipid-based self-emulsifying drug delivery systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tran, Thuy; Siqueira, Scheyla D V S; Amenitsch, Heinz

    2017-01-01

    to investigate the impact of LPC on the emulsion droplet size, extent of digestion, colloidal structure evolution and drug precipitation during in vitro lipolysis simulating human conditions and drug bioavailability in a rat model. The four investigated SEDDS containing long-chain glycerides, polyoxyl 35 castor...... and polydispersity of the dispersed SEDDS. The two LPC-free SEDDS generated lamellar phase structures (Lα) with d-spacing=4.76nm during digestion. Incorporating LPC into these systems inhibited the formation of lamellar phase structures. The amount of precipitated crystalline FF from the four SEDDS was similar......This study investigates the effect of monoacyl phospholipid incorporation on the in vitro and in vivo performance of self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS). Monoacyl phosphatidylcholine (Lipoid S LPC 80 (LPC)) was incorporated into four different fenofibrate (FF)-loaded long-chain SEDDS...

  14. Self-regulating insulin delivery systems I. Synthesis and characterization of glycosylated insulin

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jeong, Seo Young; Kim, Sung Wan; Eenink, Martinus J.D.; Feijen, Jan

    1984-01-01

    A design for a self-regulating insulin delivery system based on the competitive binding of glucose and glycosylated insulin to the lectin Concanavalin A is proposed. A differnt approach to diabetes therapy is the attempt to effect a permanent cure of the disease by supplementing the patient's

  15. trans-Double Bond-Containing Liposomes as Potential Carriers for Drug Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giorgia Giacometti

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The use of liposomes has been crucial for investigations in biomimetic chemical biology as a membrane model and in medicinal chemistry for drug delivery. Liposomes are made of phospholipids whose biophysical characteristics strongly depend on the type of fatty acid moiety, where natural unsaturated lipids always have the double bond geometry in the cis configuration. The influence of lipid double bond configuration had not been considered so far with respect to the competence of liposomes in delivery. We were interested in evaluating possible changes in the molecular properties induced by the conversion of the double bond from cis to trans geometry. Here we report on the effects of the addition of trans-phospholipids supplied in different amounts to other liposome constituents (cholesterol, neutral phospholipids and cationic surfactants, on the size, ζ-potential and stability of liposomal formulations and on their ability to encapsulate two dyes such as rhodamine B and fluorescein. From a biotechnological point of view, trans-containing liposomes proved to have different characteristics from those containing the cis analogues, and to influence the incorporation and release of the dyes. These results open new perspectives in the use of the unnatural lipid geometry, for the purpose of changing liposome behavior and/or of obtaining molecular interferences, also in view of synergic effects of cell toxicity, especially in antitumoral strategies.

  16. Exploring the Moderating Role of Self-Management of Learning in Mobile English Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Rui-Ting

    2014-01-01

    Although a considerable number of studies have revealed that self-management of learning (SML) could be closely related to learning achievements, there is still a paucity of research investigating the moderating effect of self-management of learning on mobile learning outcomes. Accordingly, the primary purpose of this study was to explore the…

  17. Validating self-reported mobile phone use in adults using a newly developed smartphone application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goedhart, Geertje; Kromhout, Hans; Wiart, Joe; Vermeulen, Roel

    2015-11-01

    Interpretation of epidemiological studies on health effects from mobile phone use is hindered by uncertainties in the exposure assessment. We used a newly developed smartphone application (app) to validate self-reported mobile phone use and behaviour among adults. 107 participants (mean age 41.4 years) in the Netherlands either downloaded the software app on their smartphone or were provided with a study smartphone for 4 weeks. The app recorded the number and duration of calls, text messages, data transfer, laterality and hands-free use. Self-reported mobile phone use was collected before using the app and after 6 months through an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The geometric mean ratios (GMR, 95% CI) and Spearman correlations (r) of self-reported (after 6 months) versus recorded number and duration of calls were: GMR=0.65 (0.53 to 0.80), r=0.53; and GMR=1.11 (0.86 to 1.42), r=0.57 respectively. Participants held the phone on average for 86% of the total call time near the head. Self-reported right side users held the phone for 70.7% of the total call time on the right side of the head, and left side users for 66.2% on the left side of the head. The percentage of total call time that the use of hands-free devices (headset, speaker mode, Bluetooth) was recorded increased with increasing frequency of reported hands-free device usage. The observed recall errors and precision of reported laterality and hands-free use can be used to quantify and improve radiofrequency exposure models based on self-reported mobile phone use. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  18. A Mixed-Method Study of Mobile Devices and Student Self-Directed Learning and Achievement During a Middle School STEM Activity

    OpenAIRE

    Bartholomew, Scott

    2016-01-01

    The increasingly ubiquitous nature of mobile devices among K-12 students has led many to argue for and against the inclusion of mobile devices in K-12 classrooms. Some have conjectured that access to mobile devices may enable student self-directed learning. This research used a mixed-method approach to explore the relationships between mobile devices and student achievement and self-directed learning during a Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) activity in a middle schoo...

  19. Self-Contained Cross-Cutting Pipeline Software Architecture

    OpenAIRE

    Patwardhan, Amol; Patwardhan, Rahul; Vartak, Sumalini

    2016-01-01

    Layered software architecture contains several intra-layer and inter-layer dependencies. Each layer depends on shared components making it difficult to release a code change, bug fix or feature without exhaustive testing and having to build the entire software code base. This paper proposed self-contained, cross-cutting pipeline architecture (SCPA) that is independent of existing layers. We chose 2 open source projects and 3 internal intern projects that used n-tier architecture and applied t...

  20. A distance-aware replica adaptive data gathering protocol for Delay Tolerant Mobile Sensor Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Yong; Gong, Haigang; Fan, Mingyu; Liu, Ming; Wang, Xiaomin

    2011-01-01

    In Delay Tolerant Mobile Sensor Networks (DTMSNs) that have the inherent features of intermitted connectivity and frequently changing network topology it is reasonable to utilize multi-replica schemes to improve the data gathering performance. However, most existing multi-replica approaches inject a large amount of message copies into the network to increase the probability of message delivery, which may drain each mobile node's limited battery supply faster and result in too much contention for the restricted resources of the DTMSN, so a proper data gathering scheme needs a trade off between the number of replica messages and network performance. In this paper, we propose a new data gathering protocol called DRADG (for Distance-aware Replica Adaptive Data Gathering protocol), which economizes network resource consumption through making use of a self-adapting algorithm to cut down the number of redundant replicas of messages, and achieves a good network performance by leveraging the delivery probabilities of the mobile sensors as main routing metrics. Simulation results have shown that the proposed DRADG protocol achieves comparable or higher message delivery ratios at the cost of the much lower transmission overhead than several current DTMSN data gathering schemes.

  1. Formulation and characterization of lipid-based drug delivery system of raloxifene-microemulsion and self-microemulsifying drug delivery system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hetal Thakkar

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Background : Raloxifene, a second-generation selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM used to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women is administered orally in the form of a tablet. The absolute bioavailability of the drug is only 2% because of extensive hepatic first-pass metabolism. Lipid-based formulations are reported to reduce the first-pass metabolism by promoting its lymphatic uptake. Materials and Methods : In the present investigation, microemulsion and Self-Microemulsifying Drug Delivery System (SMEDDS formulations of Raloxifene were prepared. The prepared formulations were characterized for drug loading, size, transparency, zeta potential, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM and in vitro intestinal permeability. Results : The results indicated that high drug loading, optimum size and desired zeta potential and transparency could be achieved with both SMEDDS and microemulsion. The TEM studies indicated the absence of aggregation with both the systems. The in vitro intestinal permeability results showed that the permeation of the drug from the microemulsion and SMEDDs was significantly higher than that obtained from the drug dispersion and marketed formulation. Conclusion : Lipid based formulations such as microemulsion and Self Microemulsifying drug delivery systems are expected to increase the oral bioavailability as evidenced by the increased intestinal permeation.

  2. Formulation and characterization of lipid-based drug delivery system of raloxifene-microemulsion and self-microemulsifying drug delivery system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thakkar, Hetal; Nangesh, Jitesh; Parmar, Mayur; Patel, Divyakant

    2011-01-01

    Background: Raloxifene, a second-generation selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) used to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women is administered orally in the form of a tablet. The absolute bioavailability of the drug is only 2% because of extensive hepatic first-pass metabolism. Lipid-based formulations are reported to reduce the first-pass metabolism by promoting its lymphatic uptake. Materials and Methods: In the present investigation, microemulsion and Self-Microemulsifying Drug Delivery System (SMEDDS) formulations of Raloxifene were prepared. The prepared formulations were characterized for drug loading, size, transparency, zeta potential, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and in vitro intestinal permeability. Results: The results indicated that high drug loading, optimum size and desired zeta potential and transparency could be achieved with both SMEDDS and microemulsion. The TEM studies indicated the absence of aggregation with both the systems. The in vitro intestinal permeability results showed that the permeation of the drug from the microemulsion and SMEDDs was significantly higher than that obtained from the drug dispersion and marketed formulation. Conclusion: Lipid based formulations such as microemulsion and Self Microemulsifying drug delivery systems are expected to increase the oral bioavailability as evidenced by the increased intestinal permeation. PMID:21966167

  3. 46 CFR 28.205 - Fireman's outfits and self-contained breathing apparatus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Fireman's outfits and self-contained breathing apparatus... the Boundary Lines or With More Than 16 Individuals On Board, or for Fish Tender Vessels Engaged in the Aleutian Trade § 28.205 Fireman's outfits and self-contained breathing apparatus. (a) Each vessel...

  4. Self-assembled polymeric nanocarriers for the targeted delivery of retinoic acid to the hair follicle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lapteva, Maria; Möller, Michael; Gurny, Robert; Kalia, Yogeshvar N.

    2015-11-01

    Acne vulgaris is a highly prevalent dermatological disease of the pilosebaceous unit (PSU). An inability to target drug delivery to the PSU results in poor treatment efficacy and the incidence of local side-effects. Cutaneous application of nanoparticulate systems is reported to induce preferential accumulation in appendageal structures. The aim of this work was to prepare stable polymeric micelles containing retinoic acid (RA) using a biodegradable and biocompatible diblock methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(hexylsubstituted lactic acid) copolymer (MPEG-dihexPLA) and to evaluate their ability to deliver RA to skin. An innovative punch biopsy sample preparation method was developed to selectively quantify follicular delivery; the amounts of RA present were compared to those in bulk skin, (i.e. without PSU), which served as the control. RA was successfully incorporated into micelle nanocarriers and protected from photoisomerization by inclusion of Quinoline Yellow. Incorporation into the spherical, homogeneous and nanometer-scale micelles (dn 400-fold. Drug delivery experiments in vitro showed that micelles were able to deliver RA to porcine and human skins more efficiently than Retin-A® Micro (0.04%), a marketed gel containing RA loaded microspheres, (7.1 +/- 1.1% vs. 0.4 +/- 0.1% and 7.5 +/- 0.8% vs. 0.8 +/- 0.1% of the applied dose, respectively). In contrast to a non-colloidal RA solution, Effederm® (0.05%), both the RA loaded MPEG-dihexPLA polymeric micelles (0.005%) and Retin-A® Micro (0.04%) displayed selectivity for delivery to the PSU with 2-fold higher delivery to PSU containing samples than to control samples. Moreover, the micelle formulation outperformed Retin-A® Micro in terms of delivery efficiency to PSU presenting human skin (10.4 +/- 3.2% vs. 0.6 +/- 0.2%, respectively). The results indicate that the polymeric micelle formulation enabled an increased and targeted delivery of RA to the PSU, potentially translating to a safer and more efficient

  5. Self-Management Interventions to Prevent the Secondary Condition of Pain in People with Disability Due to Mobility Limitations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katherine Froehlich-Grobe

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction This focused review examines the use and effectiveness of self-management strategies in preventing or managing pain, which is among the most common secondary conditions faced by individuals with a mobility disability. Methods This focused review was part of a two-phase comprehensive scoping review. Phase I was a comprehensive scoping review of the literature targeting multiple outcomes of self-management interventions for those with mobility impairment, and Phase II was a focused review of the literature on self-management interventions that target pain as a primary or secondary outcome. Two authors searched CINAHL, PubMed, and PsyclNFO for papers published from January 1988 through August 2014 using specified search terms. Following the scoping review, the authors independently screened and selected the studies and reviewed the eligible studies, and the first author extracted data from the included studies. Results The scoping review yielded 40 studies that addressed pain self-management interventions for those living with mobility impairment. These 40 accumulated papers revealed a heterogeneous evidence base in terms of setting (clinic, community, and online, target populations, intervention duration (3 weeks to 24 months, and mode (health-care providers and lay leaders. Most of the reviewed studies reported that the self-management intervention led to significant reduction of pain over time, suggesting that self-management may be a promising approach for addressing pain experienced by people who live with mobility limitations. Discussion This review also reveals moderate-to-high bias across studies, and findings indicate that future research should enhance the methodological quality to provide stronger evidence about the effectiveness of self-management strategies for reducing pain among those with mobility impairments.

  6. The Effect of Digestion and Drug Load on Halofantrine Absorption from Self-nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System (SNEDDS)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Michaelsen, Maria Hotoft; Wasan, Kishor M.; Sivak, Olena

    2016-01-01

    A super-saturated self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (super-SNEDDS), containing the poorly water-soluble drug halofantrine (Hf) at 150% of equilibrium solubility (Seq), was compared in vitro and in vivo with a conventional SNEDDS (75% of Seq) with respect to bioavailability and digestibility....... Further, the effect of digestion on oral absorption of Hf from SNEDDS and super-SNEDDS was assessed by incorporation of the lipase inhibitor tetrahydrolipstatin (orlistat) into the SNEDDS. The SNEDDS contained soybean oil/Maisine 34-I (1:1), Kolliphor RH40, and ethanol at a ratio of 55:35:10, w/w percent....... For the dynamic in vitro lipolysis, the precipitation of Hf at 60 min was significantly larger for the super-SNEDDS (66.8 ± 16.4%) than for the SNEDDS (18.5 ± 9.2%). The inhibition of the in vitro digestion by orlistat (1% (w/w)) lowered drug precipitation significantly for both the super-SNEDDS (36.8 ± 1...

  7. Interpersonal conflicts at work as a predictor of self-reported health outcomes and occupational mobility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Raeve, L; Jansen, N W H; van den Brandt, P A; Vasse, R; Kant, I J

    2009-01-01

    The aim of this prospective study was to examine the relationship between interpersonal conflicts at work and subsequent self-reported health outcomes (self-reported general health, need for recovery, and prolonged fatigue) and occupational mobility (internal mobility ie, changing job function, and external mobility ie, changing employers). Data from the Maastricht Cohort Study on fatigue at work (n = 5582 for co-worker conflict; n = 5530 for supervisor conflict) were used. Interpersonal conflict with either co-workers or supervisors was assessed between baseline and 1-year follow-up. Outcomes were studied every 4 months between 1-year and 2-year follow-up. Logistic regression analyses using generalised estimating equations were conducted for each of the dichotomous outcomes, while controlling for demographic factors, the presence of a long-term illness, other workplace stressors, coping, and outcome at baseline. Analyses were conducted for men only. At baseline, conflicts with co-workers occurred in 7.2% of the study population, while conflicts with supervisors occurred in 9.5% of the study population. In general, this study showed that co-worker conflict was a statistically significant risk factor for the onset of an elevated need for recovery, prolonged fatigue, poor general health and external occupational mobility. Supervisor conflict was a significant risk factor for the onset of an elevated need for recovery, prolonged fatigue, external occupational mobility, and internal occupational mobility. The results of this study indicate a possible causal relationship between interpersonal conflicts at work and self-reported health and occupational mobility. Given the considerable impact of interpersonal conflicts at work on the individual worker and on the organisation, and the fact that interpersonal conflicts at work are highly prevalent, these findings underline the need for interventions aimed at preventing the occurrence of interpersonal conflicts at work, or

  8. A smart multifunctional nanocomposite for intracellular targeted drug delivery and self-release

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chan; Lv, Piping; Wei, Wei; Tao, Shengyang; Hu, Tao; Yang, Jingbang; Meng, Changgong

    2011-10-01

    A multifunctional 'all-in-one' nanocomposite is fabricated using a colloid, template and surface-modification method. This material encompasses magnetic induced target delivery, cell uptake promotion and controlled drug release in one system. The nanocomposite is characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption and vibrating sample magnetometry. The prepared material has a diameter of 350-400 nm, a high surface area of 420.29 m2 g - 1, a pore size of 1.91 nm and a saturation magnetization of 32 emu g - 1. Doxorubicin (DOX) is loaded in mesopores and acid-sensitive blockers are introduced onto the orifices of the mesopores by a Schiff base linker to implement pH-dependent self-release. Folate was also introduced to improve DOX targeted delivery and endocytosis. The linkers remained intact to block pores with ferrocene valves and inhibit the diffusion of DOX at neutral pH. However, in lysosomes of cancer cells, which have a weak acidic pH, hydrolysis of the Schiff base group removes the nanovalves and allows the trapped DOX to be released. These processes are demonstrated by UV-visible absorption spectra, confocal fluorescence microscopy images and methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assays in vitro, which suggest that the smart nanocomposite successfully integrates targeted drug delivery with internal stimulus induced self-release and is a potentially useful material for nanobiomedicine.

  9. A smart multifunctional nanocomposite for intracellular targeted drug delivery and self-release

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Chan; Tao Shengyang; Hu Tao; Yang Jingbang; Meng Changgong; Lv Piping; Wei Wei

    2011-01-01

    A multifunctional 'all-in-one' nanocomposite is fabricated using a colloid, template and surface-modification method. This material encompasses magnetic induced target delivery, cell uptake promotion and controlled drug release in one system. The nanocomposite is characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, N 2 adsorption and vibrating sample magnetometry. The prepared material has a diameter of 350-400 nm, a high surface area of 420.29 m 2 g -1 , a pore size of 1.91 nm and a saturation magnetization of 32 emu g -1 . Doxorubicin (DOX) is loaded in mesopores and acid-sensitive blockers are introduced onto the orifices of the mesopores by a Schiff base linker to implement pH-dependent self-release. Folate was also introduced to improve DOX targeted delivery and endocytosis. The linkers remained intact to block pores with ferrocene valves and inhibit the diffusion of DOX at neutral pH. However, in lysosomes of cancer cells, which have a weak acidic pH, hydrolysis of the Schiff base group removes the nanovalves and allows the trapped DOX to be released. These processes are demonstrated by UV-visible absorption spectra, confocal fluorescence microscopy images and methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assays in vitro, which suggest that the smart nanocomposite successfully integrates targeted drug delivery with internal stimulus induced self-release and is a potentially useful material for nanobiomedicine.

  10. The effectiveness of mobile-health technologies to improve health care service delivery processes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Free, Caroline; Phillips, Gemma; Watson, Louise; Galli, Leandro; Felix, Lambert; Edwards, Phil; Patel, Vikram; Haines, Andy

    2013-01-01

    Mobile health interventions could have beneficial effects on health care delivery processes. We aimed to conduct a systematic review of controlled trials of mobile technology interventions to improve health care delivery processes. We searched for all controlled trials of mobile technology based health interventions using MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Global Health, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, UK NHS HTA (Jan 1990-Sept 2010). Two authors independently extracted data on allocation concealment, allocation sequence, blinding, completeness of follow-up, and measures of effect. We calculated effect estimates and we used random effects meta-analysis to give pooled estimates. We identified 42 trials. None of the trials had low risk of bias. Seven trials of health care provider support reported 25 outcomes regarding appropriate disease management, of which 11 showed statistically significant benefits. One trial reported a statistically significant improvement in nurse/surgeon communication using mobile phones. Two trials reported statistically significant reductions in correct diagnoses using mobile technology photos compared to gold standard. The pooled effect on appointment attendance using text message (short message service or SMS) reminders versus no reminder was increased, with a relative risk (RR) of 1.06 (95% CI 1.05-1.07, I(2) = 6%). The pooled effects on the number of cancelled appointments was not significantly increased RR 1.08 (95% CI 0.89-1.30). There was no difference in attendance using SMS reminders versus other reminders (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.94-1.02, respectively). To address the limitation of the older search, we also reviewed more recent literature. The results for health care provider support interventions on diagnosis and management outcomes are generally consistent with modest benefits. Trials using mobile technology-based photos reported reductions in correct diagnoses when compared to the gold standard. SMS appointment reminders have modest

  11. The association between self-esteem and happiness differs in relationally mobile vs. stable contexts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kosuke eSato

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Does a change in the nature of surrounding social context affect the strength of association between self-esteem and happiness? This paper aims to answer this question from a socio-ecological perspective, focusing on the role of relational mobility. Recent research has shown that this association is stronger in societies that are higher in relational mobility, where there is a greater freedom of choice in interpersonal relationships and group memberships. In this study, we tested if this hypothesis could be applied to situational differences within the same physical setting. Using a quasi-experimental design, we tested if the association between self-esteem and happiness was stronger for first-year students at a Japanese university who had just entered the college and thus were in a relatively higher mobility context, than the second year students at the same university whose relationships tended to be more stable and long-standing. The results showed, as predicted, that the association between self-esteem and happiness was stronger for the first-year students than for the second-year students. Implications for the theory and research on social change are discussed.

  12. Delivery of Instructions via Mobile Social Media App Increases Quality of Bowel Preparation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Xiaoyu; Zhao, Lina; Leung, Felix; Luo, Hui; Wang, Limei; Wu, Ji; Guo, Xiaoyang; Wang, Xiangping; Zhang, Linhui; Hui, Na; Tao, Qin; Jia, Hui; Liu, Zhiguo; Chen, Zhangqin; Liu, Junjun; Wu, Kaichun; Fan, Daiming; Pan, Yanglin; Guo, Xuegang

    2016-03-01

    Bowel preparation is closely linked to the quality of colonoscopy. We investigated whether delivery of instructions via a social media app increases the quality of colonoscopy by improving adequacy of bowel preparation. We performed a prospective study at 3 endoscopic centers in China of 770 colonoscopy outpatients (18-80 years old) with convenient access to Wechat (a widely used mobile social media app) from May through November 2014. Patients were randomly assigned to groups that received standard education along with delivery of interactive information via Wechat (n = 387) or standard education (controls, n = 383). The primary outcome was proportion of patients with adequate bowel preparation (Ottawa score <6). Secondary outcomes included rates of adenoma detection and cecal intubation, cecal intubation time, rates of incomplete compliance with instructions, and patient willingness to repeat bowel preparation. Demographic features were comparable between the groups. A higher proportion of patients in the group that received social media instruction had adequate bowel preparation than the control group (82.2% vs 69.5%, P < .001). Among patients with successful colonoscopies, the group that received social media instruction had lower mean total and segmental Ottawa scores (P < .05). A higher proportion of patients receiving social media instruction also had cecal intubation (97.2% vs 93.2% in controls, P = .014) and were found to have adenomas (18.6% vs 12.0% in controls, P = .012). Instruction via a mobile social media app, in conjunction with regular instruction, increases subjective measures of adequacy of bowel preparation. Use of the app significantly increased the proportion of patients with successful cecal intubation and in whom adenomas were detected, indicating increased quality of colonoscopy. ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT02140827. Copyright © 2016 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. A Novel Self-Microemulsifying System for the Simultaneous Delivery and Enhanced Oral Absorption of Curcumin and Resveratrol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaisamut, Patcharawalai; Wiwattanawongsa, Kamonthip; Wiwattanapatapee, Ruedeekorn

    2017-03-01

    The use of curcumin and resveratrol in combination has now become increasingly of interest because of their synergistic effects as therapeutic agents for various diseases, especially cancer. To overcome the poor oral bioavailability of both compounds and improve patient compliance, a novel self-microemulsifying formulation containing curcumin together with resveratrol was developed. Capryol 90, Cremophor EL, and Labrasol were selected as the oil, surfactant, and co-surfactant in the formulation, respectively, based on the solubility study of both compounds. More than 70 % and 80 % of curcumin and resveratrol, respectively, were released in 20 min. The formulation formed a fine oil in water microemulsion with droplet sizes in aqueous media of 15-20 nm. In addition, the formulation containing curcumin and resveratrol showed greater antioxidant activity than that of the formulations with individual compounds, while the cytotoxic activity against HT-29 of the co-formulation (IC 50  = 18.25 µM; curcumin and resveratrol in the ratio 1 : 1) was less than the formulation with only curcumin (IC 50  = 30.1 µM) and only resveratrol (IC 50  = 25.4 µM). After oral administration to rabbits, the self-microemulsifying formulation containing curcumin together with resveratrol increased the total plasma concentrations of curcumin and resveratrol by 10-fold and 6-fold, respectively, compared to the unformulated combination. This study clearly demonstrated the potential use of the self-microemulsifying formulation for co-delivery, and enhanced oral absorption of poorly water-soluble natural compounds. In addition, the combination was found to produce synergistic antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity against HT-29 cells. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  14. Scoping out the literature on mobile needle and syringe programs-review of service delivery and client characteristics, operation, utilization, referrals, and impact.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strike, Carol; Miskovic, Miroslav

    2018-02-08

    Needle and syringe program (NSP) service delivery models encompass fixed sites, mobile services, vending machines, pharmacies, peer NSPs, street outreach, and inter-organizational agreements to add NSP services to other programs. For programs seeking to implement or improve mobile services, access to a synthesis of the evidence related to mobile services is beneficial, but lacking. We used a scoping study method to search MEDLINE, PSYCHInfo, Embase, Scopus, and Sociological for relevant literature. We identified 39 relevant manuscripts published between 1975 and November 2017 after removing duplicates and non-relevant manuscripts from the 1313 identified by the search. Charting of the data showed that these publications reported findings related to the service delivery model characteristics, client characteristics, service utilization, specialized interventions offered on mobile NSPs, linking clients to other services, and impact on injection risk behaviors. Mobile NSPs are implemented in high-, medium-, and low-income countries; provide equipment distribution and many other harm reduction services; face limitations to service complement, confidentiality, and duration of interactions imposed by physical space; adapt to changes in locations and types of drug use; attract people who engage in high-risk/intensity injection behavior and who are often not reached by other service models; and may lead to reduced injection-related risks. It is not clear from the literature reviewed, what are, or if there are, a "core and essential" complement of services that mobile NSPs should offer. Decisions about service complement for mobile NSPs need to be made in relation to the context and also other available services. Reports of client visits to mobile NSP provide a picture of the volume and frequency of utilization but are difficult to compare given varied measures and reference periods. Mobile NSPs have an important role to play in improving HIV and HCV prevention efforts

  15. Ion-Responsive Drug Delivery Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshida, Takayuki; Shakushiro, Kohsuke; Sako, Kazuhiro

    2018-02-08

    Some kinds of cations and anions are contained in body fluids such as blood, interstitial fluid, gastrointestinal juice, and tears at relatively high concentration. Ionresponsive drug delivery is available to design the unique dosage formulations which provide optimized drug therapy with effective, safe and convenient dosing of drugs. The objective of the present review was to collect, summarize, and categorize recent research findings on ion-responsive drug delivery systems. Ions in body fluid/formulations caused structural changes of polymers/molecules contained in the formulations, allow formulations exhibit functions. The polymers/molecules responding to ions were ion-exchange resins/fibers, anionic or cationic polymers, polymers exhibiting transition at lower critical solution temperature, self-assemble supramolecular systems, peptides, and metalorganic frameworks. The functions of ion-responsive drug delivery systems were categorized to controlled drug release, site-specific drug release, in situ gelation, prolonged retention at the target sites, and enhancement of drug permeation. Administration of the formulations via oral, ophthalmic, transdermal, and nasal routes has showed significant advantages in the recent literatures. Many kinds of drug delivery systems responding to ions have been reported recently for several administration routes. Improvement and advancement of these systems can maximize drugs potential and contribute to patients in the world. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  16. Mobility Divides

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Ole B.

    Contemporary mobilities are cultural and social manifestations, and the mobile practices in the everyday life of billions of humans are re-configuring senses of place, self, other and relationships to the built environment. The way ‘mobile situations’ are staged in designed and built environments......’ in the everyday life and cast light on how design and ‘materialities of mobilites’ are creating differential mobilities across societies, social networks, and communities of practices.......Contemporary mobilities are cultural and social manifestations, and the mobile practices in the everyday life of billions of humans are re-configuring senses of place, self, other and relationships to the built environment. The way ‘mobile situations’ are staged in designed and built environments...

  17. Patient contributions during primary care consultations for hypertension after self-reporting via a mobile phone self-management support system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bengtsson, Ulrika; Kjellgren, Karin; Hallberg, Inger; Lundin, Mona; Mäkitalo, Åsa

    2018-03-01

    This paper reports on how the clinical consultation in primary care is performed under the new premises of patients' daily self-reporting and self-generation of data. The aim was to explore and describe the structure, topic initiation and patients' contributions in follow-up consultations after eight weeks of self-reporting through a mobile phone-based hypertension self-management support system. A qualitative, explorative study design was used, examining 20 audio- (n = 10) and video-recorded (n = 10) follow-up consultations in primary care hypertension management, through interaction analysis. Clinical trials registry: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01510301. Four primary health care centers in Sweden. Patients with hypertension (n = 20) and their health care professional (n = 7). The consultations comprised three phases: opening, examination and closing. The most common topic was blood pressure (BP) put in relation to self-reported variables, for example, physical activity and stress. Topic initiation was distributed symmetrically between parties and BP talk was lifestyle-centered. The patients' contributed to the interpretation of BP values by connecting them to specific occasions, providing insights to the link between BP measurements and everyday life activities. Patients' contribution through interpretations of BP values to specific situations in their own lives brought on consultations where the patient as a person in context became salient. Further, the patients' and health care professionals' equal contribution during the consultations showed actively involved patients. The mobile phone-based self-management support system can thus be used to support patient involvement in consultations with a person-centered approach in primary care hypertension management Key points   The clinical consultation is important to provide opportunities for patients to gain understanding of factors affecting high blood pressure, and for health care professionals to

  18. Mobile Perspectives: On Websites. Mobile Matters--Communication Trumps Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Susan T.

    2011-01-01

    Mobile technology is a favorite discussion topic among senior IT leaders and higher education administrators. Mobile is the future for content delivery. Colleges and universities need to establish a strategy now and make the decisions necessary to take advantage of this communication opportunity. In this article, the author recommends making…

  19. Influence of Self-emissions on a Mobile Laboratory and Implications for Urban Sampling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wendt, L. P.

    2017-12-01

    The importance of urban systems as a large source of greenhouse gases has led to an increase in ground-based campaigns designed to identify and quantify sources. However, plume emissions from vehicle tailpipes can affect emissions for a stationary vehicle or if a tailwind lofts the plume over the car particularly in an urban canyons where wind flow is constrained [1]. Advances in battery technology allow for electric vehicles to sample without self-emissions. Chevrolet has released the Bolt with an estimated range of 238 miles per charge. We are designing a mobile lab using a Chevrolet Bolt with the sensors 5 ft above the ground to reduce drag. Here we investigate the occurrence of self-emissions from a gasoline mobile laboratory set-up that has been optimized to reduce self-emissions and the potential benefits of switching to an electric vehicle for urban sampling. A 2002 Toyota Sienna van and a Licor 7500 CO2/H2O analyzer were deployed to quantify self-emissions. A custom-designed rack elevated the sensors to a height of 8 feet above the tailpipe to minimize self-emission samples [1]. Emissions were sampled over 5 intervals near a relatively isolated field with the van oriented in five directions. A south-easterly wind ( 131o) provided a self-sample opportunity by orienting the car with the tailpipe between the oncoming wind and the sensors. Over 1.5 hours of measurement, 7.8 % of CO2 measurements exceeded 420 ppmv. Of these, four possible self-sample events were observed, or less than 1% with other enhancements attributed to passing cars. These were observed in mild wind conditions averaging 2.8 m/s and only with the tail pipe directly facing into the wind. Results suggest that self-sampling is small in an environment with mild sustained winds and open surroundings. Given the challenge of identifying self-emissions in an isolated environment, urban self-sampling could impact the overall sample especially as these signals may be hard to distinguish from the

  20. An Design of HF-Band RFID System with Multiple Readers and Passive Tags for Indoor Mobile Robot Self-Localization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jian Mi

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Radio frequency identification (RFID technology has already been explored for efficient self-localization of indoor mobile robots. A mobile robot equipped with RFID readers detects passive RFID tags installed on the floor in order to locate itself. The Monte-Carlo localization (MCL method enables the localization of a mobile robot equipped with an RFID system with reasonable accuracy, sufficient robustness and low computational cost. The arrangements of RFID readers and tags and the size of antennas are important design parameters for realizing accurate and robust self-localization using a low-cost RFID system. The design of a likelihood model of RFID tag detection is also crucial for the accurate self-localization. This paper presents a novel design and arrangement of RFID readers and tags for indoor mobile robot self-localization. First, by considering small-sized and large-sized antennas of an RFID reader, we show how the design of the likelihood model affects the accuracy of self-localization. We also design a novel likelihood model by taking into consideration the characteristics of the communication range of an RFID system with a large antenna. Second, we propose a novel arrangement of RFID tags with eight RFID readers, which results in the RFID system configuration requiring much fewer readers and tags while retaining reasonable accuracy of self-localization. We verify the performances of MCL-based self-localization realized using the high-frequency (HF-band RFID system with eight RFID readers and a lower density of RFID tags installed on the floor based on MCL in simulated and real environments. The results of simulations and real environment experiments demonstrate that our proposed low-cost HF-band RFID system realizes accurate and robust self-localization of an indoor mobile robot.

  1. Use of self-report to predict ability to walk 400 meters in mobility-limited older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sayers, Stephen P; Brach, Jennifer S; Newman, Anne B; Heeren, Tim C; Guralnik, Jack M; Fielding, Roger A

    2004-12-01

    To determine whether the ability to walk 400 m could be predicted from self-reported walking habits and abilities in older adults and to develop an accurate self-report measure appropriate for observational trials of mobility when functional measures are impractical to collect. Cross-sectional. University-based human physiology laboratory. One hundred fifty community-dwelling older men and women (mean age+/-standard error= 79.8+/-0.3). An 18-item questionnaire assessing walking habits and ability was administered to each participant, followed by a 400-m walk test. Ninety-eight (65%) volunteers were able to complete the 400-m walk; 52 (35%) were unable. Logistic regression was performed using response items from a questionnaire as predictors and 400-m walk as the outcome. Three questions (Do you think you could walk one-quarter of a mile now without sitting down to rest. Because of a health or physical problem, do you have difficulty walking 1 mile? Could you walk up and down every aisle of a grocery store without sitting down to rest or leaning on a cart?) were predictive of 400-m walking ability and were included in the model. If participants answered all three questions compatible with the inability to walk 400 m, there was a 91% probability that they were unable to walk 400 m, with a sensitivity of 46% and a specificity of 97%. A three-item self-report developed in the study was able to accurately predict mobility disability. The utility of this instrument may be in evaluating self-reported mobility in large observational trials on mobility when functional mobility tasks are impractical to collect.

  2. Microcontainers as an oral delivery system for spray dried cubosomes containing ovalbumin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Line Hagner; Rades, Thomas; Boyd, Ben

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to prepare cubosomes encapsulating the model antigen ovalbumin (OVA) via spray drying, and to characterise such cubosomes with a view for their potential application in oral vaccine delivery. Furthermore the cubosome formulation was loaded into polymeric...... microcontainers intended as an oral drug delivery system. The cubosomes consisted of commercial glyceryl monooleate, Dimodan®, containing OVA and were surrounded with a dextran shell prepared by spray drying. Cryo-TEM was used to confirm that cubosomes were formed after hydration of the spray dried precursor...... the cubosomes and microcontainers occurred at pH 6.8, releasing 44.1±5.6% of the OVA in 96h. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) revealed that the 'dry' particles possessed an internal ordered lipid structure (lamellar and inverse micellar phase) by virtue of a small amount of residual water, and after...

  3. Biomanufacturing and self-propulsion dynamics of nanoscale bacteria-enabled autonomous delivery systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Traore, Mahama A.; Behkam, Bahareh, E-mail: behkam@vt.edu [Mechanical Engineering Department, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 (United States); School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 (United States); Damico, Carmen M. [Mechanical Engineering Department, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 (United States)

    2014-10-27

    Flagellated bacteria have superb self-propulsion capabilities and are able to effectively move through highly viscous fluid and semi-solid (porous) environments. This innate aptitude has been harvested for whole-cell actuation of bio-hybrid microrobotic systems with applications in directed transport and microassembly. In this work, we present the biomanufacturing of Nanoscale Bacteria-Enabled Autonomous Delivery Systems (NanoBEADS) by controlled self-assembly and investigate the role of nanoparticle load on the dynamics of their self-propulsion in aqueous environments. Each NanoBEADS agent is comprised of spherical polystyrene nanoparticles assembled onto the body of a flagellated Escherichia coli bacterium. We demonstrate that the NanoBEADS assembly configuration is strongly dependent upon the nanoparticles to bacteria ratio. Furthermore, we characterized the stochastic motion of the NanoBEADS as a function of the quantity and size of the nanoparticle load and computationally analyzed the effect of the nanoparticle load on the experienced drag force. We report that the average NanoBEADS swimming speed is reduced to 65% of the free-swimming bacteria speed (31 μm/s) at the highest possible load. NanoBEADS can be utilized as single agents or in a collaborative swarm in order to carry out specific tasks in a wide range of applications ranging from drug delivery to whole cell biosensing.

  4. Measurement of Electromagnetic Shielding Effectiveness of Woven Fabrics Containing Metallic Yarns by Mobile Devices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erhan Kenan ÇEVEN

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we introduce an alternative method to evaluate the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (EMSE of woven fabrics containing metal wires. For experimental measurements, hybrid silk viscose yarns containing metal wires were first produced. Conductive test fabrics were then produced using the hybrid weft yarns and polyester warp yarns. The produced fabrics were separated in two parts and laminated together after rotating one fabric by 90 degrees to create a grid structure. The laminated fabrics were then folded by several times to create multiple layers such as 2,4,8,12,16. The EMSE of the multiple layered fabrics was measured over GSM signals received by a mobile device. For EMSE evaluation, the mobile device was placed between the laminated fabrics. The EMSE values of the fabrics were then calculated in accordance with the power variations of GSM signals.

  5. Benefits of Self-Organizing Networks (SON for Mobile Operators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olav Østerbø

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Self-Organizing Networks (SON is a collection of functions for automatic configuration, optimization, diagnostisation and healing of cellular networks. It is considered to be a necessity in future mobile networks and operations due to the increased cost pressure. The main drivers are essentially to reduce CAPEX and OPEX, which would otherwise increase dramatically due to increased number of network parameters that has to be monitored and set, the rapidly increasing numbers of base stations in the network and parallel operation of 2G, 3G and Evolved Packet Core (EPC infrastructures. This paper presents evaluations on the use of some of the most important SON components. Mobile networks are getting more complex to configure, optimize and maintain. Many SON functions will give cost savings and performance benefits from the very beginning of a network deployment and these should be prioritized now. But even if many functions are already available and can give large benefits, the field is still in its infancy and more advanced functions are either not yet implemented or have immature implementations. It is therefore necessary to have a strategy for how and when different SON functions should be introduced in mobile networks.

  6. A smart multifunctional nanocomposite for intracellular targeted drug delivery and self-release

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang Chan; Tao Shengyang; Hu Tao; Yang Jingbang; Meng Changgong [School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning (China); Lv Piping; Wei Wei, E-mail: taosy@dlut.edu.cn [National Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China)

    2011-10-14

    A multifunctional 'all-in-one' nanocomposite is fabricated using a colloid, template and surface-modification method. This material encompasses magnetic induced target delivery, cell uptake promotion and controlled drug release in one system. The nanocomposite is characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, N{sub 2} adsorption and vibrating sample magnetometry. The prepared material has a diameter of 350-400 nm, a high surface area of 420.29 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}, a pore size of 1.91 nm and a saturation magnetization of 32 emu g{sup -1}. Doxorubicin (DOX) is loaded in mesopores and acid-sensitive blockers are introduced onto the orifices of the mesopores by a Schiff base linker to implement pH-dependent self-release. Folate was also introduced to improve DOX targeted delivery and endocytosis. The linkers remained intact to block pores with ferrocene valves and inhibit the diffusion of DOX at neutral pH. However, in lysosomes of cancer cells, which have a weak acidic pH, hydrolysis of the Schiff base group removes the nanovalves and allows the trapped DOX to be released. These processes are demonstrated by UV-visible absorption spectra, confocal fluorescence microscopy images and methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assays in vitro, which suggest that the smart nanocomposite successfully integrates targeted drug delivery with internal stimulus induced self-release and is a potentially useful material for nanobiomedicine.

  7. Core-Shell Microneedle Gel for Self-Regulated Insulin Delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jinqiang; Ye, Yanqi; Yu, Jicheng; Kahkoska, Anna R; Zhang, Xudong; Wang, Chao; Sun, Wujin; Corder, Ria D; Chen, Zhaowei; Khan, Saad A; Buse, John B; Gu, Zhen

    2018-03-27

    A bioinspired glucose-responsive insulin delivery system for self-regulation of blood glucose levels is desirable for improving health and quality of life outcomes for patients with type 1 and advanced type 2 diabetes. Here we describe a painless core-shell microneedle array patch consisting of degradable cross-linked gel for smart insulin delivery with rapid responsiveness and excellent biocompatibility. This gel-based device can partially dissociate and subsequently release insulin when triggered by hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) generated during the oxidation of glucose by a glucose-specific enzyme covalently attached inside the gel. Importantly, the H 2 O 2 -responsive microneedles are coated with a thin-layer embedding H 2 O 2 -scavenging enzyme, thus mimicking the complementary function of enzymes in peroxisomes to protect normal tissues from injury caused by oxidative stress. Utilizing a chemically induced type 1 diabetic mouse model, we demonstrated that this smart insulin patch with a bioresponsive core and protective shell could effectively regulate the blood glucose levels within a normal range with improved biocompatibility.

  8. Bioreducible poly(amidoamine)s with charge-reversel properties for intracellular protein delivery

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Coué, G.M.J.P.C.; Engbersen, Johannes F.J.; Hennink, W.E.; Engbersen, J.F.J.

    2010-01-01

    An effective intracellular protein delivery system was developed using bioreducible disulfide-containing poly(amidoamine)s with negatively charged citraconic side groups that can give charge-reversal upon pH decrease. These water-soluble and linear polymers efficiently self-assemble with proteins

  9. Participatory research design in mobile health: Tablet devices for diabetes self-management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burford, Sally; Park, Sora; Dawda, Paresh; Burns, John

    2015-01-01

    Type 2 diabetes is a prevalent, chronic disease, which places significant burden on societies and individuals. This article reports the participatory research design of an exploratory study that introduces mobile tablet devices in the self-management of type 2 diabetes in a primary healthcare setting. Strategies from democratic dialogic theory were used in the design of the research to steer the participatory engagement between researchers and healthcare practitioners. The outcome of this phase of the research was the issue of six ‘invitations’ to 28 people with diabetes to frame their use of a mobile tablet device in managing their health. Those invitations were clustered in two themes, Empowered and Compelled, representing typical patient attitudes and behaviours. The work reported here sets the stage for a longitudinal and socially complex study that encompasses a new and comprehensive General Practitioner (GP) Super Clinic with an array of health and administrative staff, patients with a chronic health condition requiring continual self-management, a wide continuum of digital literacy capability in all participants and an ever-increasing digital society. It reports a novel research design methodology that merges democratic dialogic theory and participatory design, resulting in a grounded and agreed approach to a mobile health intervention.

  10. Structure-activity relationship study of Aib-containing amphipathic helical peptide-cyclic RGD conjugates as carriers for siRNA delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wada, Shun-Ichi; Takesada, Anna; Nagamura, Yurie; Sogabe, Eri; Ohki, Rieko; Hayashi, Junsuke; Urata, Hidehito

    2017-12-15

    The conjugation of Aib-containing amphipathic helical peptide with cyclo(-Arg-Gly-Asp-d-Phe-Cys-) (cRGDfC) at the C-terminus of the helix peptide (PI) has been reported to be useful for constructing a carrier for targeted siRNA delivery into cells. In order to explore structure-activity relationships for the development of potential carriers for siRNA delivery, we synthesized conjugates of Aib-containing amphipathic helical peptide with cRGDfC at the N-terminus (PII) and both the N- and C-termini (PIII) of the helical peptide. Furthermore, to examine the influence of PI helical chain length on siRNA delivery, truncated peptides containing 16 (PIV), 12 (PV), and 8 (PVI) amino acid residues at the N-terminus of the helical chain were synthesized. PII and PIII, as well as PI, could deliver anti-luciferase siRNA into cells to induce the knockdown of luciferase stably expressed in cells. In contrast, all of the truncated peptides were unlikely to transport siRNA into cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. The association between self-esteem and happiness differs in relationally mobile vs. stable interpersonal contexts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, Kosuke; Yuki, Masaki

    2014-01-01

    Does a change in the nature of surrounding social context affect the strength of association between self-esteem and happiness? This paper aims to answer this question from a socio-ecological perspective, focusing on the role of relational mobility. Recent research has shown that this association is stronger in societies that are higher in relational mobility, where there is a greater freedom of choice in interpersonal relationships and group memberships. In this study, we tested if this hypothesis could be applied to situational differences within the same physical setting. Using a quasi-experimental design, we tested if the association between self-esteem and happiness was stronger for first-year students at a Japanese university who had just entered the college and thus were in a relatively higher mobility context, than the second-year students at the same university whose relationships tended to be more stable and long-standing. The results showed, as predicted, that the association between self-esteem and happiness was stronger for the first-year students than for the second-year students. Implications for the theory and research on social change are discussed.

  12. Practice for dosimetry for a self-contained dry-storage gamma-ray irradiator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-01-01

    This practice outlines dosimetric procedures to be followed with self-contained dry-storage gamma-ray irradiators. If followed, these procedures will help to ensure that calibration and testing will be carried out with acceptable precision and accuracy and that the samples processed with ionizing radiation from gamma rays in a self-contained dry-storage irradiator receive absorbed doses within a predetermined range. This practice covers dosimetry in the use of dry-storage gamma-ray irradiators, namely self-contained dry storage 137 Cs or 60 Co irradiators (shielded free-standing irradiators). It does not cover underwater pool sources, panoramic gamma-ray sources such as those raised mechanically or pneumatically to irradiate isotropically into a room or through a collimator, nor does it cover self-contained bremsstrahlung x-ray units. The absorbed dose range for the use of the dry-storage self-contained gamma-ray irradiators covered by this practice is typically 1 to 10 5 Gy, depending on the application. The absorbed-dose rate range typically is from 10 -2 to 10 3 Gy/min. This practice describes general procedures applicable to all self-contained dry-storage gamma-ray irradiators. For procedures specific to dosimetry in blood irradiation, see ISO/ ASTM Practice 51939. For procedures specific to dosimetry in radiation research on food and agricultural products, see ISO/ASTM Practice 51900. For procedures specific to radiation hardness testing, see ASTM Practice E 1249. For procedures specific to the dosimetry in the irradiation of insects for sterile release programs, see ISO/ASTM Guide 51940. In those cases covered by ISO/ASTM Practices 51939, 51900, 51940, or ASTM E 1249, those standards take precedence. In addition, this practice does not cover absorbed-dose rate calibrations of radiation protection instrumentation

  13. Self-contained filtered density function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nouri, Arash G.; Pope, Stephen B.

    2017-01-01

    The filtered density function (FDF) closure is extended to a “self-contained” format to include the subgrid-scale (SGS) statistics of all of the hydro-thermo-chemical variables in turbulent flows. These are the thermodynamic pressure, the specific internal energy, the velocity vector, and the composition field. In this format, the model is comprehensive and facilitates large-eddy simulation (LES) of flows at both low and high compressibility levels. A transport equation is developed for the joint pressure-energy-velocity-composition filtered mass density function (PEVC-FMDF). In this equation, the effect of convection appears in closed form. The coupling of the hydrodynamics and thermochemistry is modeled via a set of stochastic differential equation for each of the transport variables. This yields a self-contained SGS closure. We demonstrated how LES is conducted of a turbulent shear flow with transport of a passive scalar. Finally, the consistency of the PEVC-FMDF formulation is established, and its overall predictive capability is appraised via comparison with direct numerical simulation (DNS) data.

  14. An Investigation of the Relationship between High-School Students' Problematic Mobile Phone Use and Their Self-Esteem Levels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isiklar, Abdullah; Sar, Ali Haydar; Durmuscelebi, Mustafa

    2013-01-01

    Excessive mobile phone use, especially among adolescents, brings too many debates about its effects. To this end, in this study, we try to investigate the relationship between adolescents' mobile phone use and their self-esteem levels with regard to their genders. For 919 high school students, we evaluated mobile phone use concerning their…

  15. Global mobility orientation and the success of self-initiated expatriates in greater China

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lauring, Jakob; Selmer, Jan

    2014-01-01

    We investigated 640 self-initiated expatriate academics residing in Greater China. We examined whether their inherent demographic characteristics (age/gender) and acquired demographic characteristics (marital status/seniority) differentiated their work outcomes regarding job adjustment, time...... to proficiency, performance and satisfaction. We also explored the associations between global mobility orientation and these four work outcomes and examined to what extent the demographic characteristics differentiated the relationships. Results support most hypothesized differences. We found that a global...... mobility orientation was associated with all the work outcomes, except satisfaction. For inherent demographic characteristics, we found support for our hypotheses that for individuals with less successful demographics (younger, male), there was a stronger relationship between global mobility orientation...

  16. Enhanced colonic delivery of ciclosporin A self-emulsifying drug delivery system encapsulated in coated minispheres.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keohane, Kieran; Rosa, Mónica; Coulter, Ivan S; Griffin, Brendan T

    2016-01-01

    Investigate the potential of coated minispheres (SmPill®) to enhance localized Ciclosporin A (CsA) delivery to the colon. CsA self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) were encapsulated into SmPill® minispheres. Varying degrees of coating thickness (low, medium and high) were applied using ethylcellulose and pectin (E:P) polymers. In vitro CsA release was evaluated in simulated gastric and intestinal media. Bioavailability of CsA in vivo following oral administration to pigs of SmPill® minispheres was compared to Neoral® po and Sandimmun® iv in a pig model. CsA concentrations in blood and intestinal tissue were determined by HPLC-UV. In vitro CsA release from coated minispheres decreased with increasing coating thickness. A linear relationship was observed between in vitro CsA release and in vivo bioavailability (r(2) = 0.98). CsA concentrations in the proximal, transverse and distal colon were significantly higher following administration of SmPill®, compared to Neoral® po and Sandimmun® iv (p < 0.05). Analysis of transverse colon tissue subsections also revealed significantly higher CsA concentrations in the mucosa and submucosa using SmPill® minispheres (p < 0.05). Modulating E:P coating thickness controls release of CsA from SmPill® minispheres. Coated minispheres limited CsA release in the small intestine and enhanced delivery and uptake in the colon. These findings demonstrate clinical advantages of an oral coated minisphere-enabled CsA formulation in the treatment of inflammatory conditions of the large intestine.

  17. Displays enabling mobile multimedia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimmel, Jyrki

    2007-02-01

    With the rapid advances in telecommunications networks, mobile multimedia delivery to handsets is now a reality. While a truly immersive multimedia experience is still far ahead in the mobile world, significant advances have been made in the constituent audio-visual technologies to make this become possible. One of the critical components in multimedia delivery is the mobile handset display. While such alternatives as headset-style near-to-eye displays, autostereoscopic displays, mini-projectors, and roll-out flexible displays can deliver either a larger virtual screen size than the pocketable dimensions of the mobile device can offer, or an added degree of immersion by adding the illusion of the third dimension in the viewing experience, there are still challenges in the full deployment of such displays in real-life mobile communication terminals. Meanwhile, direct-view display technologies have developed steadily, and can provide a development platform for an even better viewing experience for multimedia in the near future. The paper presents an overview of the mobile display technology space with an emphasis on the advances and potential in developing direct-view displays further to meet the goal of enabling multimedia in the mobile domain.

  18. Investigating Students' Self-Efficacy and Attitudes towards the Use of Mobile Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yorganci, Serpil

    2017-01-01

    Nowadays, mobile learning (m-learning) presents new and powerful opportunities for effective teaching and learning. Two significant factors that serve in understanding if students accept m-learning technology are self-efficacy and attitudes towards m-learning usage. For this purpose, the present study investigated vocational college students'…

  19. High School Pupils' Attitudes and Self-Efficacy of Using Mobile Devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikolopoulou, Kleopatra; Gialamas, Vasilis

    2017-01-01

    This paper regards a study aiming to investigate junior high school pupils' attitudes and self-efficacy of using mobile devices. A 25-item questionnaire was administered to 260 pupils aged 12-15 years old, in Greece. Pupils' attitudes were positive, and four factors were extracted, "perceived usefulness", "affection",…

  20. Ex vivo skin delivery of diclofenac by transcutol containing liposomes and suggested mechanism of vesicle-skin interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manconi, Maria; Caddeo, Carla; Sinico, Chiara; Valenti, Donatella; Mostallino, Maria Cristina; Biggio, Giovanni; Fadda, Anna Maria

    2011-05-01

    Recently, we described a novel family of liposomes, the Penetration Enhancer-containing Vesicles (PEVs), as carriers for enhanced (trans)dermal drug delivery. In this study, to go deeply into the potential of these new vesicles and suggest the possible mechanism of vesicle-skin interaction, we investigated transcutol containing PEVs as carriers for diclofenac, in the form of either acid or sodium salt. PEVs, prepared with soy phosphatidylcholine and aqueous solutions containing different concentrations of transcutol, were characterized by size distribution, zeta potential, incorporation efficiency, thermotropic behavior, and stability. (Trans)dermal diclofenac delivery from PEVs was investigated ex vivo through new born pig skin using conventional liposomes and a commercial gel as controls. The mode of action of the vesicles was also studied by performing a pre-treatment test and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) analyses. Results of the all skin permeation experiments showed an improved diclofenac (both acid and sodium salt) delivery to and through the skin when PEVs were used (especially in comparison with the commercial gel) thus suggesting intact PEVs' penetration through the pig skin. Images of the qualitative CLSM analyses support this conclusion. Thus, this work shows the superior ability of the PEVs to enhance ex vivo drug transport of both hydrophilic and lipophilic diclofenac forms. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Exploration of mobile educational technology

    OpenAIRE

    Hosny, W.

    2007-01-01

    Recent advances in mobile and wireless technology could be utilised to enhance the delivery of educational programmes. The use of this technology is known as “Mobile Education”. Mobile education technology provides unique opportunities for educators to flexibly deliver their educational material to learners via mobile services anywhere at any time. Moreover, the material delivered could be adapted to the learners’ needs and preferences. Examples of mobile devices which could be used in mobile...

  2. Polymeric Micelles with Ionic Cores Containing Biodegradable Crosslinks for Delivery of Chemotherapeutic Agents

    OpenAIRE

    Kim, Jong Oh; Sahay, Gaurav; Kabanov, Alexander V.; Bronich, Tatiana K.

    2010-01-01

    Novel functional polymeric nanocarriers with ionic cores containing biodegradable cross-links were developed for delivery of chemotherapeutic agents. Block ionomer complexes (BIC) of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(methacylic acid) (PEO-b-PMA) and divalent metal cations (Ca2+) were utilized as templates. Disulfide bonds were introduced into the ionic cores by using cystamine as a biodegradable cross-linker. The resulting cross-linked micelles with disulfide bonds represented soft, hydrogel-like n...

  3. Self-assembled containers based on extended tetrathiafulvalene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bivaud, Sébastien; Goeb, Sébastien; Croué, Vincent; Dron, Paul I; Allain, Magali; Sallé, Marc

    2013-07-10

    Two original self-assembled containers constituted each by six electroactive subunits are described. They are synthesized from a concave tetratopic π-extended tetrathiafulvalene ligand bearing four pyridyl units and cis-M(dppf)(OTf)2 (M = Pd or Pt; dppf = 1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene; OTf = trifluoromethane-sulfonate) complexes. Both fully characterized assemblies present an oblate spheroidal cavity that can incorporate one perylene molecule.

  4. Weight loss efficacy of a novel mobile Diabetes Prevention Program delivery platform with human coaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michaelides, Andreas; Raby, Christine; Wood, Meghan; Farr, Kit

    2016-01-01

    Objective To evaluate the weight loss efficacy of a novel mobile platform delivering the Diabetes Prevention Program. Research Design and Methods 43 overweight or obese adult participants with a diagnosis of prediabetes signed-up to receive a 24-week virtual Diabetes Prevention Program with human coaching, through a mobile platform. Weight loss and engagement were the main outcomes, evaluated by repeated measures analysis of variance, backward regression, and mediation regression. Results Weight loss at 16 and 24 weeks was significant, with 56% of starters and 64% of completers losing over 5% body weight. Mean weight loss at 24 weeks was 6.58% in starters and 7.5% in completers. Participants were highly engaged, with 84% of the sample completing 9 lessons or more. In-app actions related to self-monitoring significantly predicted weight loss. Conclusions Our findings support the effectiveness of a uniquely mobile prediabetes intervention, producing weight loss comparable to studies with high engagement, with potential for scalable population health management. PMID:27651911

  5. Establishing an independent mobile health programme for chronic disease self-management support in Bolivia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John D Piette

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: Mobile health (m-health work in low and middle-income countries (LMICs mainly consists of pilot programmes with an unclear path to scaling and dissemination. We describe the deployment and testing of an m-health platform for non-communicable disease (NCD self-management support in Bolivia. Methods: 364 primary care patients in La Paz with diabetes or hypertension completed surveys about their use of mobile phones, health and access to care. 165 of those patients then participated in a 12-week demonstration of automated telephone monitoring and self-management support. Weekly Interactive Voice Response (IVR calls were made from a platform established at a university in La Paz, under the direction of the regional health ministry. Results: 37% of survey respondents spoke indigenous languages at home, and 38% had six or fewer years of education. 82% had a mobile phone; half (45% used text messaging with a standard phone, and 9% had a smartphone. Smartphones were least common among patients who were older, spoke indigenous languages, or had less education. IVR programme participants completed 1007 self-management support calls, with an overall response rate of 51%. IVR call completion was lower among older adults, but was not related to patients’ ethnicity, health status or healthcare access. IVR health and self-care reports were consistent with information reported during baseline interviews. Patients’ likelihood of reporting excellent, very good, or good health (versus fair or poor health via IVR increased during programme participation, and was associated with better medication adherence. Patients completing follow-up interviews were satisfied with the programme, with 19/20 (95% reporting that they would recommend it to a friend. Conclusions: By collaborating with LMICs, m-health programmes can be transferred from higher-resource centres to LMICs and implemented in ways that improve access to self-management support among people

  6. Design of a gelatin microparticle-containing self-microemulsifying formulation for enhanced oral bioavailability of dutasteride

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baek I

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available In-hwan Baek,1,* Eun-Sol Ha,2,* Jin-Wook Yoo,2 Yunjin Jung,2 Min-Soo Kim21College of Pharmacy, Kyungsung University, 2College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea*These authors contributed equally to this workAbstract: In this study, a gelatin microparticle-containing self-microemulsifying formulation (SMF was developed using a spray-drying method to enhance the oral delivery of the poorly water-soluble therapeutic dutasteride. The effect of the amount of gelatin and the type and amount of hydrophilic additives, namely, Gelucire® 44/14, poloxamer 407, sodium lauryl sulfate, Soluplus®, Solutol™ HS15, and D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate, on the droplet size, dissolution, and oral absorption of dutasteride from the SMF was investigated. Upon dispersion of the gelatin microparticle-containing SMF in water after spray-drying, the mean droplet size of the aqueous dispersion was in the range of 110–137 nm. The in vitro dissolution and recrystallization results showed that gelatin could be used as a solid carrier and recrystallization inhibitor for the SMF of dutasteride. Furthermore, combination of the gelatin microparticle-containing SMF and Soluplus enhanced the dissolution properties and oral absorption of dutasteride. The results of our study suggest that the gelatin microparticle-containing SMF in combination with Soluplus could be useful to enhance the oral absorption of dutasteride.Keywords: dissolution, solubility, bioavailability, dutasteride

  7. Self-Contained to Departmentalized: How Reading Habits Changed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamme, Linda Leonard

    1976-01-01

    Examined the reading habits of four 4th grade classes before and after a changeover from self-contained to departmentalized instruction. Results indicated a slightly lower mean number of books read and far less variation among classes in the number of books read after departmentalization. (JMB)

  8. Self-Assembled Nanocarriers Based on Amphiphilic Natural Polymers for Anti- Cancer Drug Delivery Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabra, Sally; Abdelmoneem, Mona; Abdelwakil, Mahmoud; Mabrouk, Moustafa Taha; Anwar, Doaa; Mohamed, Rania; Khattab, Sherine; Bekhit, Adnan; Elkhodairy, Kadria; Freag, May; Elzoghby, Ahmed

    2017-01-01

    Micellization provides numerous merits for the delivery of water insoluble anti-cancer therapeutic agents including a nanosized 'core-shell' drug delivery system. Recently, hydrophobically-modified polysaccharides and proteins are attracting much attention as micelle forming polymers to entrap poorly soluble anti-cancer drugs. By virtue of their small size, the self-assembled micelles can passively target tumor tissues via enhanced permeation and retention effect (EPR). Moreover, the amphiphilic micelles can be exploited for active-targeted drug delivery by attaching specific targeting ligands to the outer micellar hydrophilic surface. Here, we review the conjugation techniques, drug loading methods, physicochemical characteristics of the most important amphiphilic polysaccharides and proteins used as anti-cancer drug delivery systems. Attention focuses on the mechanisms of tumor-targeting and enhanced anti-tumor efficacy of the encapsulated drugs. This review will highlight the remarkable advances of hydrophobized polysaccharide and protein micelles and their potential applications as anti-cancer drug delivery nanosystems. Micellar nanocarriers fabricated from amphiphilic natural polymers hold great promise as vehicles for anti-cancer drugs. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  9. Hierarchical Self Organizing Map for Novelty Detection using Mobile Robot with Robust Sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sha'abani, M N A H; Miskon, M F; Sakidin, H

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents a novelty detection method based on Self Organizing Map neural network using a mobile robot. Based on hierarchical neural network, the network is divided into three networks; position, orientation and sensor measurement network. A simulation was done to demonstrate and validate the proposed method using MobileSim. Three cases of abnormal events; new, missing and shifted objects are employed for performance evaluation. The result of detection was then filtered for false positive detection. The result shows that the inspection produced less than 2% false positive detection at high sensitivity settings

  10. Incontinence, bladder neck mobility, and sphincter ruptures in primiparous women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jundt K

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objective To compare the function of the pelvic floor in primiparae before and during pregnancy with the status post partum concerning symptoms of incontinence, sphincter ruptures, bladder-neck mobility and the influence of the different modes of deliveries. Methods Questionnaire evaluating symptoms of urinary and anal incontinence in nulliparous women before and after delivery and correlating these symptoms with functional changes of the pelvic floor based on a careful gynaecologic examination as well as perineal and endoanal ultrasound. Results 112 women were included in our study and came for the first visit, 99 women returned for follow-up 6 months after childbirth. Stress and flatus incontinence significantly increased from before pregnancy (3 and 12% to after childbirth (21 and 28% in women with spontaneous delivery or vacuum extraction. No new symptoms occurred after c-section. There was no significant difference between the bladder neck position before and after delivery. The mobility of the bladder neck was significantly higher after vaginal delivery using a vacuum extraction compared to spontaneous delivery or c-section. The bladder neck in women with post partum urinary stress incontinence was significantly more mobile than in continent controls. The endoanal ultrasound detected seven occult sphincter defects without any correlation to symptoms of anal incontinence. Conclusion Several statistically significant changes of the pelvic floor after delivery were demonstrated. Spontaneous vaginal delivery or vacuum extraction increases the risk for stress or anal incontinence, delivery with vacuum extraction leads to higher bladder neck mobility and stress incontinent women have more mobile bladder necks than continent women.

  11. Reduced triacylglycerol mobilization during seed germination and early seedling growth in Arabidopsis containing nutritionally important polyunsaturated fatty acids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pushkar Shrestha

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available There are now several examples of plant species engineered to synthesise and accumulate nutritionally important polyunsaturated fatty acids in their seed triacylglycerols (TAG. The utilization of such TAG in germinating seeds of such transgenic plants was unknown. In this study, we examined the TAG utilization efficiency during seed germination in transgenic Arabidopsis seeds containing several examples of these fatty acids. Seed TAG species with native fatty acids had higher utilization rate than the TAG species containing transgenically produced polyunsaturated fatty acids. Conversely, quantification of the fatty acid components remaining in the total TAG after early stages of seed germination revealed that the undigested TAGs tended to contain an elevated level of the engineered polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA. LC-MS analysis further revealed asymmetrical mobilization rates for the individual TAG species. TAGs which contained multiple PUFA fatty acids were mobilized slower than the species containing single PUFA. The mobilised engineered fatty acids were used in de novo membrane lipid synthesis during seedling development.

  12. Responsiveness of observational and self-report methods for assessing disability in mobility in patients with osteoarthritis.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Steultjens, M.P.M.; Roorda, L.D.; Dekker, J.; Bijlsma, J.W.J.

    2001-01-01

    Objective: To establish the responsiveness of observational and self-report methods for the assessment of disability in mobility in patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: Data from 186 patients with hip OA of knee OA were used. Data from 1 observational method and 4 self-report methods for the

  13. Responsiveness of observational and self-report methods for assessing disability in mobility in patients with osteoarthritis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Steultjens, M. P.; Roorda, L. D.; Dekker, J.; Bijlsma, J. W.

    2001-01-01

    To establish the responsiveness of observational and self-report methods for the assessment of disability in mobility in patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Data from 186 patients with hip OA or knee OA were used. Data from 1 observational method and 4 self-report methods for the assessment of

  14. Cloud computing for enhanced mobile health applications

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Nkosi, MT

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Mobile devices are being considered as service platforms for mobile health information delivery, access and communication. However mobiles face challenges with regard to delivering secure multimedia based health services due to limitations...

  15. MOBILE ADVERTISING ENGINE FOR CENTRALIZED MOBILE COUPON DELIVERY

    OpenAIRE

    Jeffrey Wray; Daniel Plante

    2011-01-01

    During the past decade, the preferred medium for advertising has seen a dramatic shift away from print media and other traditional means of distribution. In 2009 alone, it is estimated that advertising spending dropped by between 10 and 20 percent for newspapers, consumer magazines, radio, and television while increasing an estimated 9.2 and 18.1 percent in Internet and mobile advertising respectively. Driven by the high cost of print media, lower redemption rates on print coupons, and corres...

  16. Acceptance of Using an Ecosystem of Mobile Apps for Use in Diabetes Clinic for Self-Management of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pais, Sarita; Parry, Dave; Petrova, Krassie; Rowan, Janet

    2017-01-01

    Mobile applications (apps) for self-management of diseases such as diabetes and for general well-being, including keeping track of food, diet, and exercise, are widely available. However, consumers face a flood of new mobile apps in the app stores and have no guidance from clinicians about choosing the appropriate app. As much as clinicians would like to support a patient-centered approach and promote health and wellness mobile apps, they may be unable to provide advice due to the lack of comprehensive and reliable app reviews. This research reviewed a selection of health and wellness mobile apps suitable for the self-management of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). A prototype of an ecosystem that integrated the data generated by the apps was built and its usefulness and ease of use were evaluated. The results show that the ecosystem can provide support for GDM self-management by sharing health and wellness data across the diabetes clinic.

  17. Potential use of mobile phones in improving animal health service delivery in underserved rural areas: experience from Kilosa and Gairo districts in Tanzania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karimuribo, Esron D; Batamuzi, Emmanuel K; Massawe, Lucas B; Silayo, Richard S; Mgongo, Frederick O K; Kimbita, Elikira; Wambura, Raphael M

    2016-10-07

    Sub-optimal performance of the animal health delivery system in rural areas is common in developing countries including Tanzania. However, penetration of mobile phones and availability of good road network and public transport systems offer opportunities for improving the access of rural communities to diagnostic and advisory services from facilities and expertise located in urban areas. A questionnaire survey on possession and use of mobile phones by pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in Kilosa and Gairo districts was carried out between November and December 2015. A total number of 138 livestock keepers from three villages of Chakwale (54), Mvumi (41) and Parakuyo (43) participated in the study. An e-based system was designed and tested to link rural communities with urban diagnostic facilities. It was observed that the average number of phones possessed by individuals interviewed and household families was 1.1 ± 0.26 (1-2) and 3.5 ± 2.23 (1-10), respectively. It was further observed that out of 138 livestock keepers interviewed, 133 (96.4 %) had feature phones while 10 (7.2 %) of them possessed smartphones. Mobile phone is currently used to support livestock production by communicating on animal health in Parakuyo (18, 41.9 %), Mvumi (18, 43.9 %) and Chakwale (14, 25.9 %). Other contributions of mobile phones in livestock and crop agriculture observed in the study area include: exchange of livestock price information, crop price information, communicating on plant health/diseases, livestock extension and advisory services as well as crop farming extension and advisory services. We also designed and tested an e-based SUAVetDiag® system to support timely diagnosis of infectious disease conditions and prompt advice on case management in veterinary underserved areas. Availability of mobile phones in rural areas, in combination with supporting infrastructure and facilities in urban areas, has potential to stimulate local development and improving

  18. Mobility care in nursing homes: development and psychometric evaluation of the kinaesthetics competence self-evaluation (KCSE) scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gattinger, Heidrun; Senn, Beate; Hantikainen, Virpi; Köpke, Sascha; Ott, Stefan; Leino-Kilpi, Helena

    2017-01-01

    Impaired mobility is a prevalent condition among care-dependent persons living in nursing homes. Therefore, competence development of nursing staff in mobility care is important. This study aimed to develop and initially test the Kinaesthetics Competence Self-Evaluation (KCSE) scale for assessing nursing staff's competence in mobility care. The KCSE scale was developed based on an analysis of the concept of nurses' competence in kinaesthetics. Kinaesthetics is a training concept that provides theory and practice about movement foundations that comprise activities of daily living. The scale contains 28 items and four subscales (attitude, dynamic state, knowledge and skills). Content validity was assessed by determining the content validity index within two expert panels. Internal consistency and construct validity were tested within a cross-sectional study in three nursing homes in the German-speaking region of Switzerland between September and November 2015. The content validity index for the entire scale was good (0.93). Based on a sample of nursing staff ( n  = 180) the internal consistency results were good for the whole scale (Cronbach's alpha = 0.91) and for the subscales knowledge and skills (α = 0.91, 0.86), acceptable for the subscale attitude (α = 0.63) and weak for the subscale dynamic state (α = 0.54). Most items showed acceptable inter-item and item-total correlations. Based on the exploratory factor analysis, four factors explaining 52% of the variance were extracted. The newly developed KCSE scale is a promising instrument for measuring nursing staff's attitude, dynamic state, knowledge, and skills in mobility care based on kinaesthetics. Despite the need for further psychometric evaluation, the KCSE scale can be used in clinical practice to evaluate competence in mobility care based on kinaesthetics and to identify educational needs for nursing staff.

  19. Cost-effective handoff scheme based on mobility-aware dual pointer forwarding in proxy mobile IPv6 networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Son, Seungsik; Jeong, Jongpil

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, a mobility-aware Dual Pointer Forwarding scheme (mDPF) is applied in Proxy Mobile IPv6 (PMIPv6) networks. The movement of a Mobile Node (MN) is classified as intra-domain and inter-domain handoff. When the MN moves, this scheme can reduce the high signaling overhead for intra-handoff/inter-handoff, because the Local Mobility Anchor (LMA) and Mobile Access Gateway (MAG) are connected by pointer chains. In other words, a handoff is aware of low mobility between the previously attached MAG (pMAG) and newly attached MAG (nMAG), and another handoff between the previously attached LMA (pLMA) and newly attached LMA (nLMA) is aware of high mobility. Based on these mobility-aware binding updates, the overhead of the packet delivery can be reduced. Also, we analyse the binding update cost and packet delivery cost for route optimization, based on the mathematical analytic model. Analytical results show that our mDPF outperforms the PMIPv6 and the other pointer forwarding schemes, in terms of reducing the total cost of signaling.

  20. Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems: Design of a novel vaginal delivery system for curcumin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Köllner, S; Nardin, I; Markt, R; Griesser, J; Prüfert, F; Bernkop-Schnürch, A

    2017-06-01

    The aim of this study was to develop a vaginal self-emulsifying delivery system for curcumin being capable of spreading, of permeating the mucus gel layer and of protecting the drug being incorporated in oily nanodroplets towards mucus interactions and immobilization. The emulsifying properties of curcumin loaded SEDDS containing 30% Cremophor RH40, 20% Capmul PG-8, 30% Captex 300, 10% DMSO and 10% tetraglycol (SEDD formulation A) as well as 25% PEG 200, 35% Cremophor RH40, 20% Captex 355, 10% Caprylic acid and 10% Tween 80 (SEDD formulation B) after diluting 1+2 with artificial vaginal fluid were characterized regarding droplet size and zeta potential. Collagen swelling test was used to examine the irritation potential of SEDDS. Additionally to mucus binding studies, permeation studies in the mucus were performed. Furthermore, spreading potential of the novel developed formulations was compared with a commercial available o/w cream (non-ionic hydrophilic cream) on vaginal mucosa. SEDDS displayed a mean droplet size between 38 and 141nm and a zeta potential of -0.3 to -1.6mV. The collagen swelling test indicated no significant irritation potential of both formulations over 24h. An immediate interaction of unformulated curcumin with the mucus was determined, whereas both SEDDS facilitated drug permeation through the mucus layer. Formulation B showed a 2.2-fold improved transport ratio of curcumin compared to SEDD formulation A. In comparison to the vaginal cream, SEDD formulation A and B were able to spread over the vaginal mucosa and cover the tissue to a 17.8- and 14.8-fold higher extent, respectively. According to these results, SEDDS seems to be a promising tool for vaginal application. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Gaming Self-Contained Provably Fair Smart Contract Casinos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piotr J. Piasecki

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses the game theory behind self-contained smart contract provably fair casinos, how they can be gamed by attackers with a large amount of money and computing power, as well as what are the necessary conditions to assure the system cannot be taken advantage of under various configurations.

  2. Self-efficacy, pain, and quadriceps capacity at baseline predict changes in mobility performance over 2 years in women with knee osteoarthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brisson, Nicholas M; Gatti, Anthony A; Stratford, Paul W; Maly, Monica R

    2018-02-01

    This study examined the extent to which baseline measures of quadriceps strength, quadriceps power, knee pain and self-efficacy for functional tasks, and their interactions, predicted 2-year changes in mobility performance (walking, stair ascent, stair descent) in women with knee osteoarthritis. We hypothesized that lesser strength, power and self-efficacy, and higher pain at baseline would each be independently associated with reduced mobility over 2 years, and each of pain and self-efficacy would interact with strength and power in predicting 2-year change in stair-climbing performance. This was a longitudinal, observational study of women with clinical knee osteoarthritis. At baseline and follow-up, mobility was assessed with the Six-Minute Walk Test, and stair ascent and descent tasks. Quadriceps strength and power, knee pain, and self-efficacy for functional tasks were also collected at baseline. Multiple linear regression examined the extent to which 2-year changes in mobility performances were predicted by baseline strength, power, pain, and self-efficacy, after adjusting for covariates. Data were analyzed for 37 women with knee osteoarthritis over 2 years. Lower baseline self-efficacy predicted decreased walking (β = 1.783; p = 0.030) and stair ascent (β = -0.054; p baseline pain intensity/frequency predicted decreased walking performance (β = 1.526; p = 0.002). Lower quadriceps strength (β = 0.051; p = 0.015) and power (β = 0.022; p = 0.022) interacted with lesser self-efficacy to predict worsening stair ascent performance. Strategies to sustain or improve mobility in women with knee osteoarthritis must focus on controlling pain and boosting self-efficacy. In those with worse self-efficacy, developing knee muscle capacity is an important target.

  3. Usefulness of the Mobile Virtual Reality Self-Training for Overcoming a Fear of Heights.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Yeon-Ju; Kim, Hesun Erin; Jung, Young Hoon; Kyeong, Sunghyon; Kim, Jae-Jin

    2017-12-01

    A mobile virtual reality system, equipped with built-in variables such as heart rate (HR), gaze-down data, and subjective fear rating, can allow individuals with a fear of heights to overcome it by self-training. This study aimed to verify the efficacy and safety of the training program. Forty-eight volunteers completed the four-session self-training program over 2 weeks. They were allocated into either low- or high-fear group by the Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ)-anxiety scores, and then the changes of the built-in variables and AQ-anxiety scores were analyzed between the groups. The safety was assessed using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ). The AQ-anxiety scores were significantly decreased after self-training in both groups, and the degree of decrease was significantly greater in the high-fear group than in the low-fear group. Gaze-down percentage and subjective fear rating showed a significant group difference, but HR did not. The SSQ scores were within the acceptable level. These results suggest that the training effect was greater in the high-fear group than in the low-fear group. This mobile program may be safely applicable to self-training for individuals with high scores on the fear of heights by repeated exposure to virtual environments with the embedded feedback system.

  4. Comparison of Communication Models for Mobile Agents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xining Li

    2003-04-01

    Full Text Available An agent is a self-contained process being acting on behalf of a user. A Mobile Agent is an agent roaming the internet to access data and services, and carry out its assigned task remotely. This paper will focus on the communication models for Mobile Agents. Generally speaking, communication models concern with problems of how to name Mobile Agents, how to establish communication relationships, how to trace moving agents, and how to guarantee reliable communication. Some existing MA systems are purely based on RPC-style communication, whereas some adopts asynchronous message passing, or event registration/handling. Different communication concepts suitable for Mobile Agents are well discussed in [1]. However, we will investigate these concepts and existing models from a different point view: how to track down agents and deliver messages in a dynamic, changing world.

  5. Understanding Self-Directed Learning in the Context of Mobile Web 2.0--Case Study with Workplace Learners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Jia

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents the findings from a multiple-case study which has investigated the impact of mobile Web 2.0 technologies on self-directed learning (SDL) of workplace learners by exploring participants' learning experiences with a mobile App. Drawing on existing literatures, we examined learners' SDL personal attributes and process in the…

  6. Mobile marketing

    OpenAIRE

    KLEČKOVÁ, Zuzana

    2013-01-01

    The main aim of this thesis was to provide a comprehensive overview of the mobile marketing and analyze selected campaigns of Czech mobile marketing in comparison to world successful campaigns. The research contained studying of available literature about the theme to gain general knowledge about the issue. The theoretical part of the thesis contains predominantly various definitions of mobile marketing and its tools, advantages of these tools and some information about Mobile Marketing Assoc...

  7. Encapsulation of Curcumin in Self-Assembling Peptide Hydrogels as Injectable Drug Delivery Vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altunbas, Aysegul; Lee, Seung Joon; Rajasekaran, Sigrid A.; Schneider, Joel P.; Pochan, Darrin J.

    2011-01-01

    Curcumin, a hydrophobic polyphenol, is an extract of turmeric root with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumorigenic properties. Its lack of water solubility and relatively low bioavailability set major limitations for its therapeutic use. In this study, a self-assembling peptide hydrogel is demonstrated to be an effective vehicle for the localized delivery of curcumin over sustained periods of time. The curcumin-hydrogel is prepared in-situ where curcumin encapsulation within the hydrogel network is accomplished concurrently with peptide self-assembly. Physical and in vitro biological studies were used to demonstrate the effectiveness of curcumin-loaded β-hairpin hydrogels as injectable agents for localized curcumin delivery. Notably, rheological characterization of the curcumin loaded hydrogel before and after shear flow have indicated solid-like properties even at high curcumin payloads. In vitro experiments with a medulloblastoma cell line confirm that the encapsulation of the curcumin within the hydrogel does not have an adverse effect on its bioactivity. Most importantly, the rate of curcumin release and its consequent therapeutic efficacy can be conveniently modulated as a function of the concentration of the MAX8 peptide. PMID:21601921

  8. Low self-esteem elicits greater mobilization of attentional resources toward emotional stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Haijiang; Yang, Juan

    2013-08-26

    Previous findings are generally consistent with the notion that individuals with low self-esteem tends to easily orient their attention on negative stimuli. The main objective of the present study was to further investigate the time course of attention deployment to positive (happy) and negative (angry) facial expressions in visual probe task using event-related potentials (ERP) technology in 15 high versus 15 low self-esteem participants while they viewed pairs of faces (e.g., happy face paired with neutral face or angry face paired with neutral face) shown for 500 ms and followed by a probe. Behavioral results showed that individuals with low self-esteem simply had faster manual reaction times on the entire task. ERP results showed that individuals with low self-esteem, but not high self-esteem, displayed increased P1 and N1 activity to both happy and angry facial expression. These findings suggest that emotional stimuli (angry faces and happy faces) elicited greater mobilization of attentional resources in individuals with low self-esteem. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Development of self-assembled molecular structures on polymeric surfaces and their applications as ultrasonically responsive barrier coatings for on-demand, pulsatile drug delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwok, Connie Sau-Kuen

    Nature in the form of DNA, proteins, and cells has the remarkable ability to interact with its environment by processing biological information through specific molecular recognition at the interface. As such, materials that are capable of triggering an appropriate biological response need to be engineered at the biomaterial surface. Chemically and structurally well-defined self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), biomimetics of the lipid bilayer in cell membranes, have been created and studied mostly on rigid metallic surfaces. This dissertation is motivated by the lack of methods to generate a molecularly designed surface for biomedical polymers and thus provides an enabling technology to engineer a polymeric surface precisely at a molecular and cellular level. To take this innovation one step further, we demonstrated that such self-assembled molecular structure coated on drug-containing polymeric devices could act as a stimulus-responsive barrier for controlled drug delivery. A simple, one-step procedure for generating ordered, crystalline methylene chains on polymeric surfaces via urethane linkages was successfully developed. The self-assemblies and molecular structures of these crystalline methylene chains are comparable to the SAM model surfaces, as evidenced by various surface characterization techniques (XPS, TOF-SIMS, and FTIR-ATR). For the first time, these self-assembled molecular structures are shown to function collectively as an ultrasound-responsive barrier membrane for pulsatile drug delivery, including delivery of low-molecular-weight ciprofloxacin and high-molecular-weight insulin. Encouraging results, based on the insulin-activated deoxyglucose uptakes in adipocytes, indicate that the released insulin remained biologically active. Both chemical and acoustic analyses suggest that the ultrasound-assisted release mechanism is primarily induced by transient cavitation, which causes temporary disruption of the self-assembled overlayer, and thus allows

  10. Establishing an independent mobile health program for chronic disease self-management support in bolivia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piette, John D; Valverde, Helen; Marinec, Nicolle; Jantz, Rachel; Kamis, Kevin; de la Vega, Carlos Lazo; Woolley, Timothy; Pinto, Bismarck

    2014-01-01

    Mobile health (m-health) work in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) mainly consists of small pilot programs with an unclear path to scaling and dissemination. We describe the deployment and testing of an m-health platform for non-communicable disease (NCD) self-management support in Bolivia. Three hundred sixty-four primary care patients in La Paz with diabetes or hypertension completed surveys about their use of mobile phones, health and access to care. One hundred sixty-five of those patients then participated in a 12-week demonstration of automated telephone monitoring and self-management support. Weekly interactive voice response (IVR) calls were made from a platform established at a university in La Paz, under the direction of the regional health ministry. Thirty-seven percent of survey respondents spoke indigenous languages at home and 38% had six or fewer years of education. Eighty-two percent had a mobile phone, 45% used text messaging with a standard phone, and 9% had a smartphone. Smartphones were least common among patients who were older, spoke indigenous languages, or had less education. IVR program participants completed 1007 self-management support calls with an overall response rate of 51%. IVR call completion was lower among older adults, but was not related to patients' ethnicity, health status, or healthcare access. IVR health and self-care reports were consistent with information reported during in-person baseline interviews. Patients' likelihood of reporting excellent, very good, or good health (versus fair or poor health) via IVR increased during program participation and was associated with better medication adherence. Patients completing follow-up interviews were satisfied with the program, with 19/20 (95%) reporting that they would recommend it to a friend. By collaborating with LMICs, m-health programs can be transferred from higher-resource centers to LMICs and implemented in ways that improve access to self-management support among

  11. Establishing an Independent Mobile Health Program for Chronic Disease Self-Management Support in Bolivia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piette, John D.; Valverde, Helen; Marinec, Nicolle; Jantz, Rachel; Kamis, Kevin; de la Vega, Carlos Lazo; Woolley, Timothy; Pinto, Bismarck

    2014-01-01

    Background: Mobile health (m-health) work in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) mainly consists of small pilot programs with an unclear path to scaling and dissemination. We describe the deployment and testing of an m-health platform for non-communicable disease (NCD) self-management support in Bolivia. Methods: Three hundred sixty-four primary care patients in La Paz with diabetes or hypertension completed surveys about their use of mobile phones, health and access to care. One hundred sixty-five of those patients then participated in a 12-week demonstration of automated telephone monitoring and self-management support. Weekly interactive voice response (IVR) calls were made from a platform established at a university in La Paz, under the direction of the regional health ministry. Results: Thirty-seven percent of survey respondents spoke indigenous languages at home and 38% had six or fewer years of education. Eighty-two percent had a mobile phone, 45% used text messaging with a standard phone, and 9% had a smartphone. Smartphones were least common among patients who were older, spoke indigenous languages, or had less education. IVR program participants completed 1007 self-management support calls with an overall response rate of 51%. IVR call completion was lower among older adults, but was not related to patients’ ethnicity, health status, or healthcare access. IVR health and self-care reports were consistent with information reported during in-person baseline interviews. Patients’ likelihood of reporting excellent, very good, or good health (versus fair or poor health) via IVR increased during program participation and was associated with better medication adherence. Patients completing follow-up interviews were satisfied with the program, with 19/20 (95%) reporting that they would recommend it to a friend. Conclusion: By collaborating with LMICs, m-health programs can be transferred from higher-resource centers to LMICs and implemented in ways that

  12. Influence of lipid composition and drug load on the in vitro performance of self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomas, Nicky; Müllertz, Anette; Graf, Anja

    2012-01-01

    The influence of lipid composition and drug load on the in vitro performance of lipid-based drug delivery systems was investigated during dispersion and in vitro lipolysis of two self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS). SNEDDS preconcentrates consisted of the same mass ratios of lipid...... of SNEDDS. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 101:1721–1731, 2012...

  13. Mobile Device Management horizons for CERN Managed iOS and Mac Self-Service

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva; MUSZKOWSKI, Maciek; BIPPUS, Vincent Nicolas

    2015-01-01

    Overview of the MDM (Mobile Device Mamagement) market in the context of the CERN needs and a discussion of technical capabilities of a range of MDM products, followed by a presentation of two new functionalities implemented using an MDM: Self-service Kiosk for Mac and delegated-management solution for professional tablets.

  14. Mobile Health Apps to Facilitate Self-Care: A Qualitative Study of User Experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Kevin; Burford, Oksana; Emmerton, Lynne

    2016-01-01

    Consumers are living longer, creating more pressure on the health system and increasing their requirement for self-care of chronic conditions. Despite rapidly-increasing numbers of mobile health applications ('apps') for consumers' self-care, there is a paucity of research into consumer engagement with electronic self-monitoring. This paper presents a qualitative exploration of how health consumers use apps for health monitoring, their perceived benefits from use of health apps, and suggestions for improvement of health apps. 'Health app' was defined as any commercially-available health or fitness app with capacity for self-monitoring. English-speaking consumers aged 18 years and older using any health app for self-monitoring were recruited for interview from the metropolitan area of Perth, Australia. The semi-structured interview guide comprised questions based on the Technology Acceptance Model, Health Information Technology Acceptance Model, and the Mobile Application Rating Scale, and is the only study to do so. These models also facilitated deductive thematic analysis of interview transcripts. Implicit and explicit responses not aligned to these models were analyzed inductively. Twenty-two consumers (15 female, seven male) participated, 13 of whom were aged 26-35 years. Eighteen participants reported on apps used on iPhones. Apps were used to monitor diabetes, asthma, depression, celiac disease, blood pressure, chronic migraine, pain management, menstrual cycle irregularity, and fitness. Most were used approximately weekly for several minutes per session, and prior to meeting initial milestones, with significantly decreased usage thereafter. Deductive and inductive thematic analysis reduced the data to four dominant themes: engagement in use of the app; technical functionality of the app; ease of use and design features; and management of consumers' data. The semi-structured interviews provided insight into usage, benefits and challenges of health monitoring

  15. 10 CFR 30.19 - Self-luminous products containing tritium, krypton-85, or promethium-147.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Self-luminous products containing tritium, krypton-85, or..., krypton-85, or promethium-147. (a) Except for persons who manufacture, process, produce, or initially transfer for sale or distribution self-luminous products containing tritium, krypton-85, or promethium-147...

  16. Mobile phone messaging for facilitating self-management of long-term illnesses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Jongh, Thyra; Gurol-Urganci, Ipek; Vodopivec-Jamsek, Vlasta; Car, Josip; Atun, Rifat

    2012-12-12

    Long-term illnesses affect a significant proportion of the population in developed and developing countries. Mobile phone messaging applications, such as Short Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Message Service (MMS), may present convenient, cost-effective ways of supporting self-management and improving patients' self-efficacy skills through, for instance, medication reminders, therapy adjustments or supportive messages. To assess the effects of mobile phone messaging applications designed to facilitate self-management of long-term illnesses, in terms of impact on health outcomes and patients' capacity to self-manage their condition. Secondary objectives include assessment of: user evaluation of the intervention; health service utilisation and costs; and possible risks and harms associated with the intervention. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL,The Cochrane Library 2009, Issue 2), MEDLINE (OvidSP) (January 1993 to June 2009), EMBASE (OvidSP) (January 1993 to June 2009), PsycINFO (OvidSP) (January 1993 to June 2009), CINAHL (EbscoHOST) (January 1993 to June 2009), LILACS (January 1993 to June 2009) and African Health Anthology (January 1993 to June 2009).We also reviewed grey literature (including trial registers) and reference lists of articles. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-randomised controlled trials (QRCTs), controlled before-after (CBA) studies, or interrupted time series (ITS) studies with at least three time points before and after the intervention. We selected only studies where it was possible to assess the effects of mobile phone messaging independent of other technologies or interventions. Two review authors independently assessed all studies against the inclusion criteria, with any disagreements resolved by a third review author. Study design features, characteristics of target populations, interventions and controls, and results data were extracted by two review authors and confirmed by

  17. Mobile/Modular BSL-4 Facilities for Meeting Restricted Earth Return Containment Requirements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calaway, M. J.; McCubbin, F. M.; Allton, J. H.; Zeigler, R. A.; Pace, L. F.

    2017-01-01

    NASA robotic sample return missions designated Category V Restricted Earth Return by the NASA Planetary Protection Office require sample containment and biohazard testing in a receiving laboratory as directed by NASA Procedural Requirement (NPR) 8020.12D - ensuring the preservation and protection of Earth and the sample. Currently, NPR 8020.12D classifies Restricted Earth Return for robotic sample return missions from Mars, Europa, and Enceladus with the caveat that future proposed mission locations could be added or restrictions lifted on a case by case basis as scientific knowledge and understanding of biohazards progresses. Since the 1960s, sample containment from an unknown extraterrestrial biohazard have been related to the highest containment standards and protocols known to modern science. Today, Biosafety Level (BSL) 4 standards and protocols are used to study the most dangerous high-risk diseases and unknown biological agents on Earth. Over 30 BSL-4 facilities have been constructed worldwide with 12 residing in the United States; of theses, 8 are operational. In the last two decades, these brick and mortar facilities have cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars dependent on the facility requirements and size. Previous mission concept studies for constructing a NASA sample receiving facility with an integrated BSL-4 quarantine and biohazard testing facility have also been estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars. As an alternative option, we have recently conducted an initial trade study for constructing a mobile and/or modular sample containment laboratory that would meet all BSL-4 and planetary protection standards and protocols at a faction of the cost. Mobile and modular BSL-2 and 3 facilities have been successfully constructed and deployed world-wide for government testing of pathogens and pharmaceutical production. Our study showed that a modular BSL-4 construction could result in approximately 90% cost reduction when compared to

  18. Telehealth--an effective delivery method for diabetes self-management education?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzner, Karen; Moss, Gail

    2013-06-01

    Diabetes is a chronic disease that is often comorbid with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, kidney disease, and neuropathy. Its management is complex, requiring ongoing clinical management, lifestyle changes, and self-care. This article examines recent literature on telehealth and emerging technological tools for supporting self-management of diabetes and identifies best practices. The authors conducted a PubMed search (January 2008-2012) that was supplemented by review of meeting materials and a scan of the Internet to identify emerging technologies. Fifty-eight papers were reviewed; 12 were selected for greater analysis. This review supports earlier findings that the delivery of diabetes self-management and training (DSME/T) via telehealth is useful, appropriate, and acceptable to patients and providers. Best practices are emerging; not all technology is appropriate for all populations--interactive technology needs to be appropriate to the patient's age, abilities, and sensitivities. Telehealth is scalable and sustainable provided that it adds value, does not add to the provider's workload, and is fairly reimbursed. However, there are multiple barriers (patient, provider, health system) to remotely provided DSME/T. DSME/T delivered via telehealth offers effective, efficient, and affordable ways to reach and support underserved minorities and other people with diabetes and related comorbidities. The new generation of smartphones, apps, and other technologies increase access, and the newest interventions are designed to meet patient needs, do not increase workloads, are highly appropriate, enhance self-management, and are desired by patients.

  19. Highly stable and degradable multifunctional microgel for self-regulated insulin delivery under physiological conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xinjie; Lü, Shaoyu; Gao, Chunmei; Chen, Chen; Zhang, Xuan; Liu, Mingzhu

    2013-06-01

    The response to glucose, pH and temperature, high drug loading capacity, self-regulated drug delivery and degradation in vivo are simultaneously probable by applying a multifunctional microgel under a rational design in a colloid chemistry method. Such multifunctional microgels are fabricated with N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm), (2-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and 3-acrylamidephenylboronic acid (AAPBA) through a precipitation emulsion method and cross-linked by reductive degradable N,N'-bis(arcyloyl)cystamine (BAC). This novel kind of microgel with a narrow size distribution (~250 nm) is suitable for diabetes because it can adapt to the surrounding medium of different glucose concentrations over a clinically relevant range (0-20 mM), control the release of preloaded insulin and is highly stable under physiological conditions (pH 7.4, 0.15 M NaCl, 37 °C). When synthesized multifunctional microgels regulate drug delivery, they gradually degrade as time passes and, as a result, show enhanced biocompatibility. This exhibits a new proof-of-concept for diabetes treatment that takes advantage of the properties of each building block from a multifunctional micro-object. These highly stable and versatile multifunctional microgels have the potential to be used for self-regulated therapy and monitoring of the response to treatment, or even simultaneous diagnosis as nanobiosensors.The response to glucose, pH and temperature, high drug loading capacity, self-regulated drug delivery and degradation in vivo are simultaneously probable by applying a multifunctional microgel under a rational design in a colloid chemistry method. Such multifunctional microgels are fabricated with N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm), (2-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and 3-acrylamidephenylboronic acid (AAPBA) through a precipitation emulsion method and cross-linked by reductive degradable N,N'-bis(arcyloyl)cystamine (BAC). This novel kind of microgel with a narrow size

  20. Systematic review of the information and communication technology features of web- and mobile-based psychoeducational interventions for depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Danyang; Lustria, Mia Liza A; Hendrickse, Joshua

    2017-06-01

    To examine the information and communication technology (ICT) features of psychoeducational interventions for depression delivered via the Internet or via mobile technology. Web- and mobile-based psychoeducational intervention studies published from 2004 to 2014 were selected and reviewed by two independent coders. A total of 55 unique studies satisfied the selection criteria. The review revealed a diverse range of ICTs used to support the psychoeducational programs. Most interventions used websites as their main mode of delivery and reported greater use of communication tools compared to effective approaches like tailoring or interactive technologies games, videos, and self-monitoring tools. Many of the studies relied on medium levels of clinician involvement and only a few were entirely self-guided. Programs that reported higher levels of clinician involvement also reported using more communication tools, and reported greater compliance to treatment. Future experimental studies may help unpack the effects of technology features and reveal new ways to automate aspects of clinician input. There is a need to further examine ways ICTs can be optimized to reduce the burden on clinicians whilst enhancing the delivery of proven effective therapeutic approaches. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. The research on rectification and amplification of the image in mobile large container inspection system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jin Hui; Cheng Jianping; Chen Zhiqiang; Zhang Li

    2001-01-01

    The author introduces a geometrical rectification algorithm of the image in mobile large container inspection system. The comparison and discussion of the image before and after the rectification have been given. Amplification algorithms of the images are discussed. With all the algorithms, the quality of the images has been improved

  2. Self-expression, group affiliation, pleasure and memory as predictors of consumer product attachment and satisfaction among mobile phone users

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kagiso Tlhabano

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available In the post-purchase behaviour of a product, there are challenges with change in the degree of consumer product attachment, and these challenges affect consumer product satisfaction overtime. This study investigated how self-expression, group affiliation, memory, and demographic variables predicted consumer product attachment and satisfaction among mobile phone users in Ibadan. Three hundred students of the University of Ibadan were selected using convenient random selection. Their mean age was 20.7 and standard deviation of 2.52. A structured questionnaire consisting of the socio demographic section, measure of self-expression, group affiliation, memory, pleasure, consumer attachment and product satisfaction was used to collect the data. Using multiple regression analysis, the results showed that self-expression, group affiliation, memories and pleasure jointly predicted consumer attachment among mobile phone users, F (4,299 = 48.47; P<0.05 and they contributed 40% to the variance of consumer attachment. Self-expression (β = 0.26, t = 4.44, P<0.05, memory (β = 0.29, t = 4.97, P<0.05, and pleasure (β = 0.28, t =5.01, P<0.05 independently predicted consumer attachment while group affiliation did not. In addition, self- expression, group affiliation, memories and pleasure jointly predicted product satisfaction, F (4,299 =39.79; P<0.05 and they contributed 35% to the variance of product satisfaction. Pleasure (β=0.596, t =10.35, P<0.05 independently predicted product satisfaction while self-expression, group affiliation and memory did not. Furthermore, age, gender, mobile type, ethnicity and religion did not jointly and independently predict consumer product satisfaction. These findings have implication for mobile phone manufacturers in terms of product improvement and building a strategic marketing channel that would meet the needs of global consumers.

  3. Formulation development and in vitro evaluation of solidified self-microemulsion in the form of tablet containing atorvastatin calcium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Kazi Asraf; Mukherjee, Biswajit; Bandyopadhyay, Amal Kumar

    2013-11-01

    The objective of our present study was to prepare solid self-microemulsion in the form of tablet of a poorly water soluble drug, Atorvastatin calcium (ATNC) to increase the solubility, dissolution rate, and minimize the hazards experienced from liquid emulsions. Self-microemulsifying ATNC tablet was formulated mainly by using self-emulsifying base, solidifying agent silicon dioxide and sodium starch glycolate as tablet disintegrant. Self-emulsifying base containing Transcutol P, Gelucire 44/14, and Lutrol F68 with their ratios in the formulation, were best selected by solubility study and ternary phase diagram in different vehicles. Particle size of microemulsion from tablet, physical parameters of the tablet and drug content has been checked. In vitro drug release rate has been carried out in phosphate buffer medium (pH 6.8). Physicochemical characterization of the drug in the optimized formulation has been performed to check drug-excipient incompatibility, if any. Average particle diameter of the emulsions formed from the tablet was found to be below 100 nm in case of formulation F4 and F5, which indicated microemulsions has been formed. In vitro drug release from the formulations F3, F4, and F5 was found to be >90%, indicated the enhancement of solubility of ATNC compared to parent drug. Differential thermal analysis (DTA), Powder X-ray Diffraction (X-RD) and Fourier transform infra red (FTIR) study proved the identity of the drug in the optimized formulation. The tablet form of self-microemulsifying (SME) drug delivery is good for solubility enhancement.

  4. Review and Analysis of Existing Mobile Phone Apps to Support Heart Failure Symptom Monitoring and Self-Care Management Using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masterson Creber, Ruth M; Maurer, Mathew S; Reading, Meghan; Hiraldo, Grenny; Hickey, Kathleen T; Iribarren, Sarah

    2016-06-14

    Heart failure is the most common cause of hospital readmissions among Medicare beneficiaries and these hospitalizations are often driven by exacerbations in common heart failure symptoms. Patient collaboration with health care providers and decision making is a core component of increasing symptom monitoring and decreasing hospital use. Mobile phone apps offer a potentially cost-effective solution for symptom monitoring and self-care management at the point of need. The purpose of this review of commercially available apps was to identify and assess the functionalities of patient-facing mobile health apps targeted toward supporting heart failure symptom monitoring and self-care management. We searched 3 Web-based mobile app stores using multiple terms and combinations (eg, "heart failure," "cardiology," "heart failure and self-management"). Apps meeting inclusion criteria were evaluated using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS), IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics functionality scores, and Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) guidelines for nonpharmacologic management. Apps were downloaded and assessed independently by 2-4 reviewers, interclass correlations between reviewers were calculated, and consensus was met by discussion. Of 3636 potentially relevant apps searched, 34 met inclusion criteria. Most apps were excluded because they were unrelated to heart failure, not in English or Spanish, or were games. Interrater reliability between reviewers was high. AskMD app had the highest average MARS total (4.9/5). More than half of the apps (23/34, 68%) had acceptable MARS scores (>3.0). Heart Failure Health Storylines (4.6) and AskMD (4.5) had the highest scores for behavior change. Factoring MARS, functionality, and HFSA guideline scores, the highest performing apps included Heart Failure Health Storylines, Symple, ContinuousCare Health App, WebMD, and AskMD. Peer-reviewed publications were identified for only 3 of the 34 apps. This review suggests

  5. The effect of short-term upper thoracic self-mobilization using a Kaltenborn wedge on pain and cervical dysfunction in patients with neck pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Hyung-Taek; Hwangbo, Gak

    2018-04-01

    [Purpose] The aim of this study was to determine the effect of short-term self-joint mobilization of the upper spine using a Kaltenborn wedge on the pain and cervical dysfunction of patients with neck pain. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-seven patients with neck pain were divided into two groups; the self-mobilization group (SMG, n=13) and the self-stretching group (SSG, n=14). The SMG performed upper thoracic self-mobilization and the SSG performed self-stretching exercises as a short-term intervention for a week. To assess the degree of neck pain, the visual analog scale (VAS) was utilized, and to measure the joint range of motion at the flexion-extension, it was compared and analyzed by using the goniometer. [Results] Both SMG and SSG show a significant decrease in the visual analog scale and a significant increase in joint range of motion within the group. In the comparison of groups, there was no significant difference, but it indicated effects on improving the range of motion of extension in SMG. [Conclusion] Self-mobilization of the upper spine, using a Kaltenborn wedge, was useful in alleviating pain in and dysfunction of the cervical spine, and in particular, in improving cervical spine extension in this study.

  6. Formulation and optimization of mucoadhesive microemulsion containing mirtazapine for intranasal delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hetal P Thakkar

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Mirtazapine, an antidepressant drug, has absolute bioavailability of only 50% due to high first pass metabolism. Aim: The purpose of this study was to develop and optimize mucoadhesive microemulsion containing mirtazapine for intranasal delivery. Materials and Methods: Based on solubility study, Capmul Medium chain Monoglyceride, Tween 80 and polyethylene glycol (PEG 400 were selected as oil, surfactant and co surfactant respectively. Microemulsions were prepared using water titration method. 3:1% w/w ratio (Tween 80: PEG 400 was selected for formulation development. The prepared microemulsions were optimized for globule size, zeta potential, % transmittance and polydispersity index. The optimized batch was further characterized for % drug content, conductivity and transmission electron microscopy. Results and Conclusion: All the parameters showed the suitability of microemulsion of mirtazapine for intranasal delivery. Chitosan (0.5% w/w was used as a polymer for the preparation of mucoadhesive microemulsion to enhance the retention time in the nasal mucosa. Results of nasal toxicity study using excised sheep nasal mucosa showed comparatively no damage to epithelium and so formulation was considered safe for nasal administration. mirtazapine mucoadhesive microemulsion showed the highest percentage of diffusion (57.11 ± 0.710% after 210 min during in-vitro drug diffusion study through sheep nasal mucosa, followed by mirtazapine microemulsion (46.08 ± 0.674% and finally by mirtazapine solution (17.63 ± 0.612%.

  7. Self-assembled lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles for oral insulin delivery: preparation and functional evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu LY

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Liyao Liu, Cuiping Zhou, Xuejun Xia, Yuling Liu State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Novel Formulations, Department of Pharmaceutics, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China Purpose: Here, we investigated the formation and functional properties of self-assembled lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles (L/C NPs loaded with insulin following insulin–phospholipid complex preparation, with the aim of developing a method for oral insulin delivery.Methods: Using a modified solvent-injection method, insulin-loaded L/C NPs were obtained by combining insulin–phospholipid complexes with L/C NPs. The nanoparticle size distribution was determined by dynamic light scattering, and morphologies were analyzed by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis was used to disclose the molecular mechanism of prepared insulin-loaded L/C NPs. Fast ultrafiltration and a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography assay were used to separate free insulin from insulin entrapped in the L/C NPs, as well as to measure the insulin-entrapment and drug-loading efficiencies. The in vitro release profile was obtained, and in vivo hypoglycemic effects were evaluated in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.Results: Our results indicated that insulin-containing L/C NPs had a mean size of 180 nm, an insulin-entrapment efficiency of 94%, and an insulin-loading efficiency of 4.5%. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy observations of insulin-loaded L/C NPs revealed multilamellar structures with a hollow core, encircled by several bilayers. In vitro analysis revealed that insulin release from L/C NPs depended on the L/C ratio. Insulin-loaded L/C NPs orally administered to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats exerted a significant

  8. Positive technology: a free mobile platform for the self-management of psychological stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaggioli, Andrea; Cipresso, Pietro; Serino, Silvia; Campanaro, Danilo Marco; Pallavicini, Federica; Wiederhold, Brenda K; Riva, Giuseppe

    2014-01-01

    We describe the main features and preliminary evaluation of Positive Technology, a free mobile platform for the self-management of psychological stress (http://positiveapp.info/). The mobile platform features three main components: (i) guided relaxation, which provides the user with the opportunity of browsing a gallery of relaxation music and video-narrative resources for reducing stress; (ii) 3D biofeedback, which helps the user learning to control his/her responses, by visualizing variations of heart rate in an engaging 3D environment; (iii) stress tracking, by the recording of heart rate and self-reports. We evaluated the Positive Technology app in an online trial involving 32 participants, out of which 7 used the application in combination with the wrist sensor. Overall, feedback from users was satisfactory and the analysis of data collected online indicated the capability of the app for reducing perceived stress levels. A future goal is to improve the usability of the application and include more advanced stress monitoring features, based on the analysis of heart rate variability indexes.

  9. Gold nanorods contained polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan nanofiber matrix for cell imaging and drug delivery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yan, Eryun, E-mail: yaney359@126.com [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar 161006 (China); Cao, Minglu [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar 161006 (China); College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar 161006 (China); Wang, Yuwei; Hao, Xiaoyuan [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar 161006 (China); Pei, Shichun; Gao, Jianwei; Wang, Yan [College of Food and Biological Engineering, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar 161006 (China); Zhang, Zhuanfang [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar 161006 (China); Zhang, Deqing, E-mail: zhdqing@163.com [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar 161006 (China)

    2016-01-01

    Gold nanorods (AuNRs) that contained polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan (PVA/CS) hybrid nanofibers with dual functions are successfully fabricated by a simple electrospinning method. The results of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy indicate that AuNRs are indeed encapsulated into the PVA/CS hybrid nanofibers. FTIR spectra results demonstrate that the chemical structures of PVA and CS are not affected when the AuNRs are introduced into the fibers. In vitro cytotoxicity test reveals that the hybrid fibers involving AuNRs are completely biocompatible. The as-prepared fibers can be used as a carrier for anticancer agent doxorubicin (DOX), and the drug is delivered into the cell nucleus. The AuNRs and DOX incorporated fibers are effective for inhibiting the growth and proliferation of ovary cancer cells and they can also be used as the cell imaging agent due to the unique optical properties of AuNRs. The nanofiber matrix combining two functions of cell imaging and drug delivery may be of great application potential in biomedical-related areas. - Highlights: • The AuNRs contained PVA/CS nanofibers are fabricated by electrospinning. • The hybrid fibers involving AuNRs are completely biocompatible. • The DOX loaded fibers are effective for inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells. • The nanofibers combined two functions of cell imaging and drug delivery.

  10. Intentionally Mobile Pedagogy: The M-COPE Framework for Mobile Learning in Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dennen, Vanessa P.; Hao, Shuang

    2014-01-01

    Increasingly, the education world finds itself working in an environment that is full of mobile devices and tools. Students are likely to own smartphones and tablets and instructors are faced with the challenge of integrating mobile devices into their course activities, whether as a full delivery medium, an enhancement or an optional tool. The…

  11. Supporting Self-Assembly : the IKEA Effect on Mobile Health Persuasive Technology

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Yunlong; Pfeil, Ulrike; Reiterer, Harald

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we propose the idea of examining the effect of self-assembly on the success of mobile health persuasive technology. The IKEA effect shows that individuals evaluate products assembled by themselves more positively than pre-assembled products. The IKEA effect has been proven in several domains, e.g., in human robot interaction, where participants who assembled the robot evaluated the robot and the interaction with the robot more favorably than participants who did not assemble th...

  12. Traffic collisions between electric mobility devices (wheelchairs) and motor vehicles: Accidents, hubris, or self-destructive behavior?

    Science.gov (United States)

    LaBan, Myron M; Nabity, Thomas S

    2010-07-01

    This study had its genesis in a personally observed collision between a motor vehicle and a motorized wheelchair (electric mobility device) on a busy street in the middle of the block at an unmarked crossing. To the observer, at the time, this appeared to be a suicidal act. This investigation was initiated to both delineate the number of these crashes nationally and understand this phenomena as a potentially planned act of self-destruction. An initial survey of police reports was immediately frustrated by an inability to separate motor vehicle and electric mobility device collisions from the much larger group that involved ambulatory citizens because both types were classified together as "pedestrian" accidents. Instead, the search engine NexisLexis was used to identify 107 newspaper articles each of which described a motor vehicle and electric mobility device accident. In the motor vehicle and electric mobility device collisions, men predominated women (3:1 ratio) with an average age of 56 yrs. Sixty of these accidents were fatal. Ninety-four percent involved an electric mobility device and 6% a manual wheelchair. In 50% of the cases, the motor vehicle was a truck, van, or sport utility vehicle. Fifty percent occurred at dusk or dawn or at night. The electric mobility device occupant was cited as the guilty party in 39% of the cases and the driver of the motor vehicle in 27%. Twenty percent were unwitnessed hit-and-run accidents, whereas "no fault" was found in 8% of the cases. Although many accidents do happen by chance, when an electric mobility device operator openly challenges busy traffic by attempting to traverse it in the middle of the block at an unmarked crossing, predisposing psychosocial factors must also be considered. Hubris or premeditated self-destructive behavior or both need to be explored as preeminent issues with reference to the prodromal of the "accident process."

  13. Optimized formulation of solid self-microemulsifying sirolimus delivery systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cho W

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Wonkyung Cho,1,2 Min-Soo Kim,3 Jeong-Soo Kim,2 Junsung Park,1,2 Hee Jun Park,1,2 Kwang-Ho Cha,1,2 Jeong-Sook Park,2 Sung-Joo Hwang1,4 1Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Yonsei University, Incheon, Republic of Korea; 2College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea; 3Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Inje University, Gimhae, Republic of Korea; 4College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, Republic of Korea Background: The aim of this study was to develop an optimized solid self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS formulation for sirolimus to enhance its solubility, stability, and bioavailability. Methods: Excipients used for enhancing the solubility and stability of sirolimus were screened. A phase-separation test, visual observation for emulsifying efficiency, and droplet size analysis were performed. Ternary phase diagrams were constructed to optimize the liquid SMEDDS formulation. The selected liquid SMEDDS formulations were prepared into solid form. The dissolution profiles and pharmacokinetic profiles in rats were analyzed. Results: In the results of the oil and cosolvent screening studies, Capryol™ Propylene glycol monocaprylate (PGMC and glycofurol exhibited the highest solubility of all oils and cosolvents, respectively. In the surfactant screening test, D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (vitamin E TPGS was determined to be the most effective stabilizer of sirolimus in pH 1.2 simulated gastric fluids. The optimal formulation determined by the construction of ternary phase diagrams was the T32 (Capryol™ PGMC:glycofurol:vitamin E TPGS = 30:30:40 weight ratio formulation with a mean droplet size of 108.2 ± 11.4 nm. The solid SMEDDS formulations were prepared with Sucroester 15 and mannitol. The droplet size of the reconstituted solid SMEDDS showed no significant difference compared with the liquid SMEDDS. In the dissolution study, the release amounts of

  14. Mobile Phone Apps for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Self-Management: A Systematic Assessment of Content and Tools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Con, Danny; De Cruz, Peter

    2016-02-01

    The rising incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) over the past decade has resulted in increased health care utilization and longer IBD outpatient waiting lists. Self-management is recognized as an important aspect of chronic disease management but its application to IBD has been limited. The age of IBD onset in a majority of patients is in their 20s to 30s. Mobile phone apps are a technology familiar to young adults and represent an opportunity to explore self-management as a new model of health care delivery for IBD. The aim of this study was to explore the content and tools of existing IBD apps to identify functionalities that may facilitate patient self-management. We systematically assessed apps targeted at IBD patients via searches of Google (Android devices) and Apple (iOS devices) app stores with pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Apps were assessed for specific functionalities; presence of professional medical involvement; consistency with international IBD guidelines based on "complete," "partial," or "absent" coverage of consensus statements derived from the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation, American College of Gastroenterology, and the Gastroenterology Society of Australia; comprehensiveness of data that could be entered; and average pricing. Of the 238 apps screened, 26 apps were assessed, including 10 available on Android platforms, 8 on iOS platforms, and 8 on both. Over half (14/26, 54%) of the apps had diary functionalities; over a third (10/26, 39%) provided health information about IBD. None of the apps offered decision support to facilitate the self-initiation of medical therapy. Five of 26 (19%) had professional medical involvement in their design. Apps demonstrated "complete" coverage of only 38% of the international consensus statements explored. The average price of the apps was AUD$1.37. Apps may provide a useful adjunct to the management of IBD patients. However, a majority of current apps suffer from a lack of

  15. Mobile Phone Apps for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Self-Management: A Systematic Assessment of Content and Tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Con, Danny

    2016-01-01

    Background The rising incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) over the past decade has resulted in increased health care utilization and longer IBD outpatient waiting lists. Self-management is recognized as an important aspect of chronic disease management but its application to IBD has been limited. The age of IBD onset in a majority of patients is in their 20s to 30s. Mobile phone apps are a technology familiar to young adults and represent an opportunity to explore self-management as a new model of health care delivery for IBD. Objective The aim of this study was to explore the content and tools of existing IBD apps to identify functionalities that may facilitate patient self-management. Methods We systematically assessed apps targeted at IBD patients via searches of Google (Android devices) and Apple (iOS devices) app stores with pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Apps were assessed for specific functionalities; presence of professional medical involvement; consistency with international IBD guidelines based on “complete,” “partial,” or “absent” coverage of consensus statements derived from the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation, American College of Gastroenterology, and the Gastroenterology Society of Australia; comprehensiveness of data that could be entered; and average pricing. Results Of the 238 apps screened, 26 apps were assessed, including 10 available on Android platforms, 8 on iOS platforms, and 8 on both. Over half (14/26, 54%) of the apps had diary functionalities; over a third (10/26, 39%) provided health information about IBD. None of the apps offered decision support to facilitate the self-initiation of medical therapy. Five of 26 (19%) had professional medical involvement in their design. Apps demonstrated “complete” coverage of only 38% of the international consensus statements explored. The average price of the apps was AUD$1.37. Conclusions Apps may provide a useful adjunct to the management of IBD

  16. Weight Loss Associated With Different Patterns of Self-Monitoring Using the Mobile Phone App My Meal Mate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Michelle C; Burley, Victoria J; Cade, Janet E

    2017-02-02

    Obesity is a major global public health issue due to its association with a number of serious chronic illnesses and its high economic burden to health care providers. Self-monitoring of diet has been consistently linked to weight loss. However, there is limited evidence about how frequently individuals need to monitor their diet for optimal weight loss. The aim of this paper is to describe app usage frequency and pattern in the mobile phone arm of a previously conducted randomized controlled trial. The relationship between frequency and pattern of electronic dietary self-monitoring and weight loss is also investigated. A randomized pilot trial comparing three methods of self-monitoring (mobile phone app, paper diary, Web-based) was previously conducted. Trial duration was 6 months. The mobile phone app My Meal Mate features an electronic food diary and encourages users to self-monitor their dietary intake. All food consumption data were automatically uploaded with a time and date stamp. Post hoc regression analysis of app usage patterns was undertaken in the My Meal Mate group (n=43; female: 77%, 33/43; white: 100%, 43/43; age: mean 41, SD 9 years; body mass index: mean 34, SD 4 kg/m 2 ) to explore the relationship between frequency and pattern of electronic dietary self-monitoring and weight loss. Baseline characteristics of participants were also investigated to identify any potential predictors of dietary self-monitoring. Regression analysis showed that those in the highest frequency-of-use category (recorded ≥129 days on the mobile phone app) had a -6.4 kg (95% CI -10.0 to -2.9) lower follow-up weight (adjusted for baseline weight) than those in the lowest frequency-of-use category (recorded ≤42 days; Pweight loss than other patterns of electronic self-monitoring (ie, monitoring over the short or moderate term and stopping and consistently monitoring over consecutive days). Participant characteristics such as age, baseline weight, sex, ethnicity

  17. Self-Expandable Metal Stents and Trans-stent Light Delivery: Are Metal Stents and Photodynamic Therapy Compatible?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Luo-Wei; Li, Li-Bo; Li, Zhao-Shen; Chen, Yang K; Hetzel, Fred W.; Huang, Zheng

    2008-01-01

    Background and Objectives: Obstructive non-small cell lung cancer and obstructive esophageal cancer are US FDA approved indications of photodynamic therapy (PDT). The usefulness of PDT for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma is currently under clinical investigation. Endoscopic stenting for lumen restoration is a common palliative intervention for those indications. It is important to assess whether self-expandable metal stents are compatible with trans-stent PDT light delivery. Study Design/Materials and Methods: Direct effects of various components of metal biliary (n = 2), esophageal (n = 2), and bronchial (n = 1) stents on PDT light transmittance and distribution were examined using a point or linear light source (630 or 652 nm diode laser). Resected pig biliary duct and esophageal wall tissues were used to examine the feasibility of PDT light delivery through the fully expanded metal stents. Results: While using a point light source, the metal components (thread and joint) of the stent could cause a significant shadow effect. The liner material (polytetrafluoroethylene or polyurethane) could cause various degrees of light absorption. When the stent was covered with a thin layer of biliary duct and esophageal tissues containing all wall layers, the shadow effect could be mitigated due to tissue scattering. Conclusions: This study clearly demonstrates that it is feasible to combine stenting and PDT for the treatment of luminal lesions. PDT light dose should be adjusted to counteract the reduction of light transmittance caused by the metal and liner materials of stent. PMID:18951422

  18. Wearable Therapy - Detecting Information from Wearables and Mobiles that are Relevant to Clinical and Self-directed Therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnrich, Bert; Ersoy, Cem; Mayora, Oscar; Dey, Anind; Berthouze, Nadia; Kunze, Kai

    2017-01-09

    This accompanying editorial provides a brief introduction into the focus theme "Wearable Therapy". The focus theme "Wearable Therapy" aims to present contributions which target wearable and mobile technologies to support clinical and self-directed therapy. A call for papers was announced to all participants of the "9th International Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare" and was published in November 2015. A peer review process was conducted to select the papers for the focus theme. Six papers were selected to be included in this focus theme. The paper topics cover a broad range including an approach to build a health informatics research program, a comprehensive literature review of self-quantification for health self-management, methods for affective state detection of informal care givers, social-aware handling of falls, smart shoes for supporting self-directed therapy of alcohol addicts, and reference information model for pervasive health systems. More empirical evidence is needed that confirms sustainable effects of employing wearable and mobile technology for clinical and self-directed therapy. Inconsistencies between different conceptual approaches need to be revealed in order to enable more systematic investigations and comparisons.

  19. Mobile therapy: case study evaluations of a cell phone application for emotional self-awareness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Margaret E; Kathawala, Qusai; Leen, Todd K; Gorenstein, Ethan E; Guilak, Farzin; Labhard, Michael; Deleeuw, William

    2010-04-30

    Emotional awareness and self-regulation are important skills for improving mental health and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Cognitive behavioral therapy can teach these skills but is not widely available. This exploratory study examined the potential of mobile phone technologies to broaden access to cognitive behavioral therapy techniques and to provide in-the-moment support. We developed a mobile phone application with touch screen scales for mood reporting and therapeutic exercises for cognitive reappraisal (ie, examination of maladaptive interpretations) and physical relaxation. The application was deployed in a one-month field study with eight individuals who had reported significant stress during an employee health assessment. Participants were prompted via their mobile phones to report their moods several times a day on a Mood Map-a translation of the circumplex model of emotion-and a series of single-dimension mood scales. Using the prototype, participants could also activate mobile therapies as needed. During weekly open-ended interviews, participants discussed their use of the device and responded to longitudinal views of their data. Analyses included a thematic review of interview narratives, assessment of mood changes over the course of the study and the diurnal cycle, and interrogation of this mobile data based on stressful incidents reported in interviews. Five case studies illustrate participants' use of the mobile phone application to increase self-awareness and to cope with stress. One example is a participant who had been coping with longstanding marital conflict. After reflecting on his mood data, particularly a drop in energy each evening, the participant began practicing relaxation therapies on the phone before entering his house, applying cognitive reappraisal techniques to cope with stressful family interactions, and talking more openly with his wife. His mean anger, anxiety and sadness ratings all were lower in the second half

  20. Ownership, knowledge, patient care cost and use of mobile cell ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Mobile phones are common and have robust features which have promoted their use in training and health service delivery in developed countries. Health indices in Nigeria are poor and any opportunity to improve efficiency in health care delivery with regards to mobile phone technology should be explored. The objectives ...

  1. Self-Management Interventions to Prevent Depression in People with Mobility Limitations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon J. Driver

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction This focused review reports on the impact of self-management interventions on depression in people with a mobility disability. Method There were two phases to the search including a comprehensive scoping review of the literature examining multiple secondary conditions impacted by self-management programs (Phase 1 and a focused review of the literature detailing the impact of self-management interventions on depression (Phase 2. CINAHL, PubMed, and PsyclNFO were searched for articles published between January 1988 through August 2014 and studies were screened by the first author based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results Twenty-five studies met criteria with results, demonstrating a mixed effect of self-management programs on depression. Sixteen studies included an intervention and control/comparison group, of which eight (50% had a significant effect on depression. A further nine studies did not include a control/comparison group and five found significant changes in depression and four found no change. Eighteen out of 25 studies (72% were rated as having moderate-to-high bias and nine different outcome measures were used across studies. Discussion Based on the mixed findings and varied approaches adopted for intervention and outcome assessment, future research should adopt a more rigorous methodological approach to examine self-management interventions on depression.

  2. Self-expression and relationship formation in high relational mobility environments: A study of dual users of American and Japanese social networking sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takemura, Kosuke; Suzuki, Satoko

    2017-06-01

    This study proposes that self-expression motivation, an aspect of independent/individualistic psychological tendencies, aids in the formation of social relationships when social relationships are open and mobile. In societies characterised by high relational mobility (e.g., North America), which creates market-like competition in social relationships, individuals must express their uniqueness and worthiness to form new social relationships. Self-expression motivation has a relatively weak effect on relationship formation in low relational mobility societies (e.g., Japan), where social relationships are generally predetermined. This hypothesis was examined and supported through a study on dual users of two social networking sites-Facebook and Mixi (the "Facebook of Japan"). As expected, relational mobility was higher on Facebook than on Mixi. Moreover, the association between self-expression motivation and the number of new friends met on Facebook/Mixi was more positive for Facebook than it was for Mixi. The social functionality of independent tendencies is then discussed. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

  3. Poor-to-moderate agreement between self and proxy interviews of mobile phone use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutter, Hans-Peter; Ehrenhöfer, Lisa; Freuis, Edith; Hartl, Patrik; Kundi, Michael

    2012-10-01

    In epidemiological studies, cases cannot always be interviewed due to them being too ill or already deceased. Under these circumstances, proxy interviews are often conducted; however, the veridicality of information about mobile phone use gained by proxy interviews has been doubted. The issue is undecided due to the lack of empirical data. We conducted a study of 119 heterosexual couples. Both partners answered two questionnaires about mobile phone use, one about their own use and one about their partner's use. Overall agreement assessed using Cohen's kappa, Passing and Bablok regression, and concordance coefficients between self and proxy data was poor to moderate (e.g., concordance coefficients of 0.55 for duration of use). The only item with good agreement was whether or not a prepaid phone was used (Cohen's kappa 0.78 and 0.63 for male and female estimates, respectively), and to a lesser degree, the onset of mobile phone use (concordance coefficients of 0.66 and 0.61). Poorest agreement was obtained for the side of the head the mobile phone was held during calls (kappa coefficients of 0.20 and 0.24 for female and male estimates, respectively). We conclude that the assessment of mobile phone use by proxy data cannot be relied on except for information about onset of mobile phone use, use of prepaid or contract phones, and, to a lesser degree, duration of daily use. Agreement concerning the important information about side of the head the mobile phone is held during calls was poorest and only slightly better than chance. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Self-assembled nanocomplexes of anionic pullulan and polyallylamine for DNA and pH-sensitive intracellular drug delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vora, Lalit; Tyagi, Monica; Patel, Ketan; Gupta, Sanjay; Vavia, Pradeep

    2014-12-01

    The amalgamation of chemotherapy and gene therapy is promising treatment option for cancer. In this study, novel biocompatible self-assembled nanocomplexes (NCs) between carboxylmethylated pullulan t335 (CMP) with polyallylamine (CMP-PAA NCs) were developed for plasmid DNA (pDNA) and pH-sensitive doxorubicin (DOX) delivery. DOX was conjugated to CMP (DOX-CMP) via hydrazone and confirmed by FTIR and 1H-NMR. In vitro release studies of pH-sensitive DOX-CMP conjugate showed 23 and 85 % release after 48 h at pH 7.4 (physiological pH) and pH 5 (intracellular/tumoral pH), respectively. The CMP-PAA NCs or DOX-CMP-PAA NCs self-assembled into a nanosized (successful cellular uptake of DOX-CMP-PAA NCs in HEK293 cells. Thus, NCs hold great potential for targeted pDNA and pH-sensitive intratumoral drug delivery.

  5. Self-Adaptive Contention Aware Routing Protocol for Intermittently Connected Mobile Networks

    KAUST Repository

    Elwhishi, Ahmed; Ho, Pin-Han; Naik, K.; Shihada, Basem

    2013-01-01

    This paper introduces a novel multicopy routing protocol, called Self-Adaptive Utility-based Routing Protocol (SAURP), for Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs) that are possibly composed of a vast number of devices in miniature such as smart phones of heterogeneous capacities in terms of energy resources and buffer spaces. SAURP is characterized by the ability of identifying potential opportunities for forwarding messages to their destinations via a novel utility function-based mechanism, in which a suite of environment parameters, such as wireless channel condition, nodal buffer occupancy, and encounter statistics, are jointly considered. Thus, SAURP can reroute messages around nodes experiencing high-buffer occupancy, wireless interference, and/or congestion, while taking a considerably small number of transmissions. The developed utility function in SAURP is proved to be able to achieve optimal performance, which is further analyzed via a stochastic modeling approach. Extensive simulations are conducted to verify the developed analytical model and compare the proposed SAURP with a number of recently reported encounter-based routing approaches in terms of delivery ratio, delivery delay, and the number of transmissions required for each message delivery. The simulation results show that SAURP outperforms all the counterpart multicopy encounter-based routing protocols considered in the study.

  6. Self-Adaptive Contention Aware Routing Protocol for Intermittently Connected Mobile Networks

    KAUST Repository

    Elwhishi, Ahmed

    2013-07-01

    This paper introduces a novel multicopy routing protocol, called Self-Adaptive Utility-based Routing Protocol (SAURP), for Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs) that are possibly composed of a vast number of devices in miniature such as smart phones of heterogeneous capacities in terms of energy resources and buffer spaces. SAURP is characterized by the ability of identifying potential opportunities for forwarding messages to their destinations via a novel utility function-based mechanism, in which a suite of environment parameters, such as wireless channel condition, nodal buffer occupancy, and encounter statistics, are jointly considered. Thus, SAURP can reroute messages around nodes experiencing high-buffer occupancy, wireless interference, and/or congestion, while taking a considerably small number of transmissions. The developed utility function in SAURP is proved to be able to achieve optimal performance, which is further analyzed via a stochastic modeling approach. Extensive simulations are conducted to verify the developed analytical model and compare the proposed SAURP with a number of recently reported encounter-based routing approaches in terms of delivery ratio, delivery delay, and the number of transmissions required for each message delivery. The simulation results show that SAURP outperforms all the counterpart multicopy encounter-based routing protocols considered in the study.

  7. Buoyancy package for self-contained acoustic doppler current profiler mooring

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Venkatesan, R.; Krishnakumar, V.

    A buoyancy package for self-contained Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler(SC-ADCP 1200 RD instruments USA) was designed and fabricated indigenously, for subsurface mooring in coastal waters. The system design is discussed. The design to keep SC...

  8. Self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system for enhanced bioavailability and improved hepatoprotective activity of biphenyl dimethyl dicarboxylate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Laithy, Hanan M

    2008-07-01

    Biphenyl Dimethyl Dicarboxylate (BDD) is insoluble in aqueous solution and the bioavailability after oral administration is low. Self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) containing BDD has been successfully prepared using carefully selected ingredients which are less affected by pH and ionic strength changes to improve its bioavailability. SNEDDS is an isotropic mixture of lipid, surfactant, and cosurfactant which are spontaneously emulsified in aqueous medium under gentle digestive motility in the gastrointestinal tract. Pseudo ternary phase diagrams composed of various excipients were plotted to identify self -nano -emulsifying area. Droplet size changes upon dilution with aqueous media and in vitro release of BDD from SNEDDS in 0.1N HCl and phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) were studied and compared with commercial chinese pilules and Pennel capsules. The hepatoprotective activity upon oral administration of SNEDDS against carbon tetrachloride-induced oxidative stress in albino rats was assessed by measuring biochemical parameters like serum glutamic oxalacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Results showed that using a proper ratio of Tween 80 to Transcutol as surfactant and co-surfactant respectively and Miglyol 812 as oil to surfactants mixture resulted in production of infinitely diluted formulations in nano droplet size range. BDD self nano emulsified formula composed of 20% Miglyol 812, 60% Tween 80 and 20% Transcutol released 99% of the drug very rapidly within 10-15 minutes regardless of the pH condition. The oral absorption and bioavailability of BDD self nano emulsified formula in albino rats were significantly enhanced (P<0.01) with an average improvement of 1.7 and 6-folds that of commercial chinese pilules and Pennel capsules respectively. This improvement was also confirmed histopathologically in chemically injured rats and by the significant decrease in elevated liver enzymes

  9. Polymeric micelles with ionic cores containing biodegradable cross-links for delivery of chemotherapeutic agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jong Oh; Sahay, Gaurav; Kabanov, Alexander V; Bronich, Tatiana K

    2010-04-12

    Novel functional polymeric nanocarriers with ionic cores containing biodegradable cross-links were developed for delivery of chemotherapeutic agents. Block ionomer complexes (BIC) of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(methacylic acid) (PEO-b-PMA) and divalent metal cations (Ca(2+)) were utilized as templates. Disulfide bonds were introduced into the ionic cores by using cystamine as a biodegradable cross-linker. The resulting cross-linked micelles with disulfide bonds represented soft, hydrogel-like nanospheres and demonstrated a time-dependent degradation in the conditions mimicking the intracellular reducing environment. The ionic character of the cores allowed to achieve a very high level of doxorubicin (DOX) loading (50% w/w) into the cross-linked micelles. DOX-loaded degradable cross-linked micelles exhibited more potent cytotoxicity against human A2780 ovarian carcinoma cells as compared to micellar formulations without disulfide linkages. These novel biodegradable cross-linked micelles are expected to be attractive candidates for delivery of anticancer drugs.

  10. Improved oral bioavailability of glyburide by a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hongzhuo; Shang, Kuimao; Liu, Weina; Leng, Donglei; Li, Ran; Kong, Ying; Zhang, Tianhong

    2014-01-01

    The present study aimed at the development and characterisation of self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) to improve the oral bioavailability of poorly soluble glyburide. The solubility of glyburide was determined in various oils, surfactants and co-surfactants which were grouped into two different combinations to construct ternary phase diagrams. The formulations were evaluated for emulsification time, droplet size, zeta-potential, electrical conductivity and stability of nanoemulsions. The optimised SNEDDS loading with 5 mg/g glyburide comprised 55% Cremophor® RH 40, 15% propanediol and 30% Miglyol® 812, which rapidly formed fine oil-in-water nanoemulsions with 46 ± 4 nm particle size. Compared with the commercial micronised tablets (Glynase®PresTab®), enhanced in vitro release profiles of SNEDDS were observed, resulting in the 1.5-fold increase of AUC following oral administration of SNEDDS in fasting beagle dogs. These results indicated that SNEDDS is a promising drug delivery system for increasing the oral bioavailability of glyburide.

  11. Considerations for the Development of Mobile Phone Apps to Support Diabetes Self-Management: Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adu, Mary D; Malabu, Usman H; Callander, Emily J; Malau-Aduli, Aduli Eo; Malau-Aduli, Bunmi S

    2018-06-21

    There is increased research interest in the use of mobile phone apps to support diabetes management. However, there are divergent views on what constitute the minimum standards for inclusion in the development of mobile phone apps. Mobile phone apps require an evidence-based approach to development which will consequently impact on their effectiveness. Therefore, comprehensive information on developmental considerations could help designers and researchers to develop innovative and effective patient-centered self-management mobile phone apps for diabetes patients. This systematic review examined the developmental considerations adopted in trials that engaged mobile phone applications for diabetes self-management. A comprehensive search strategy was implemented across 5 electronic databases; Medline, Scopus, Social Science Citation Index, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINALHL) and supplemented by reference list from identified studies. Study quality was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Critical appraisal checklist for trials. Information on developmental factors (health behavioral theory, functionality, pilot testing, user and clinical expert involvements, data privacy and app security) were assessed across experimental studies using a template developed for the review. A total of 11 studies (10 randomized controlled trials and 1 quasi-experimental trial) that fitted the inclusion criteria were identified. All the included studies had the functionality of self-monitoring of blood glucose. However, only some of them included functions for data analytics (7/11, 63.6%), education (6/11, 54.5%) and reminder (6/11, 54.5%). There were 5/11(45.5%) studies with significantly improved glycosylated hemoglobin in the intervention groups where educational functionality was present in the apps used in the 5 trials. Only 1 (1/11, 9.1%) study considered health behavioral theory and user involvement

  12. SWARM-BOT: Pattern Formation in a Swarm of Self-Assembling Mobile Robots

    OpenAIRE

    El Kamel, A.; Mellouli, K.; Borne, P.; Sahin, E.; Labella, T.H.; Trianni, V.; Deneubourg, J.-L.; Rasse, P.; Floreano, D.; Gambardella, L.M.; Mondada, F.; Nolfi, S.; Dorigo, M.

    2002-01-01

    In this paper we introduce a new robotic system, called swarm-bot. The system consists of a swarm of mobile robots with the ability to connect to/disconnect from each other to self-assemble into different kinds of structures. First, we describe our vision and the goals of the project. Then we present preliminary results on the formation of patterns obtained from a grid-world simulation of the system.

  13. System for routine testing of self-contained and airline breathing equipment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McDermott, H.J.; Hermens, G.A.

    1980-07-01

    A system for routine testing of self-contained and airline breathing equipment, developed by Shell Oil Co., for testing breathing equipment at one of its refineries, consists of an 80 psig air supply for airline respirators; a 500-2100 psig air supply for self-contained units; a regulator test system which uses a mannequin head that simulates human inhalation and which tests the ability of the regulator to keep the mask interior at the correct positive pressure; and an exhalation valve test system which identifies a leaky or sticking valve. The testing system has been in use for about 30 mo and has led to increased acceptance of respiratory protective equipment by workers.

  14. Increasing clinical presence of mobile communication technology: avoiding the pitfalls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Visvanathan, Akila; Gibb, Alan P; Brady, Richard R W

    2011-10-01

    Mobile communication technologies are employed in many diverse areas of healthcare delivery to provide improved quality and efficiency of communication and facilitate increased rapidity of data or information transfer. Mobile phones enable healthcare professionals to possess a portable platform from which to provide many healthcare-related applications and are a popular means to directly communicate with colleagues and patients. As involvement of mobile communication technology in healthcare delivery continues to rapidly expand, there are also important considerations of relevance to patient safety and security as a result. Here, we review the previous evidence of reported clinical risks associated with mobile communication technology, such as electromagnetic interference, confidentiality and data security, distraction/noise, infection control, and cross contamination. In conclusion, although mobile phones provide much putative potential improvement to healthcare delivery, further evaluation and research are required to both inform and protect health professionals and users of such technology in the healthcare environment and provide the evidence base to support the provision of clear and comprehensive guidelines.

  15. Self contained compressed air breathing apparatus to facilitate personnel decontamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McDonald, C.W.

    1963-11-01

    This report describes the modification of a Self Contained Compressed Air Breathing Apparatus to provide extended respiratory protection to grossly contaminated personnel during a decontamination period which may exceed the duration of the Breathing Apparatus air supply. (author)

  16. Self contained compressed air breathing apparatus to facilitate personnel decontamination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McDonald, C W [Radiological and Safety Division, Atomic Energy Establishment, Winfrith, Dorchester, Dorset (United Kingdom)

    1963-11-15

    This report describes the modification of a Self Contained Compressed Air Breathing Apparatus to provide extended respiratory protection to grossly contaminated personnel during a decontamination period which may exceed the duration of the Breathing Apparatus air supply. (author)

  17. Harnessing real world data from wearables and self-monitoring devices: feasibility, confounders and ethical considerations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Uttam Barick

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The increasing usage of smart phones has compelled mobile technology to become a universal part of everyday life. From wearable gadgets to sophisticated implantable medical devices, the advent of mobile technology has completely transformed the healthcare delivery scenario. Self-report measures enabled by mobile technology are increasingly becoming a more time and cost efficient method of assessing real world health outcomes. But, amidst all the optimism, there are concerns also on adopting this technology as regulations and ethical considerations on privacy legislations of end users are unclear. In general, the healthcare industry functions on some stringent regulations and compliances to ensure the safety and protection of patient information. A couple of the most common regulations are Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act (HIPPA and Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH. To harness the true potential of mobile technology to empower stakeholders and provide them a common platform which seamlessly integrates healthcare delivery and research, it is imperative that challenges and drawbacks in the sphere are identified and addressed. In this age of information and technology, no stones should be left unturned to ensure that the human race has access to the best healthcare services without an intrusion into his/her confidentiality. This article is an overview of the role of tracking and self-monitoring devices in data collection for real world evidence/observational studies in context to feasibility, confounders and ethical considerations.

  18. Chinese Cardiovascular Disease Mobile Apps' Information Types, Information Quality, and Interactive Functions for Self-Management: Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Bo; Su, Zhaohui; Zhang, Wenhui; Cai, Run

    2017-12-14

    China has a large population with cardiovascular disease (CVD) that requires extensive self-management. Mobile health (mHealth) apps may be a useful tool for CVD self-management. Little is currently known about the types and quality of health information provided in Chinese CVD mobile apps and whether app functions are conducive to promoting CVD self-management. We undertook a systematic review to evaluate the types and quality of health information provided in Chinese CVD mobile apps and interactive app functions for promoting CVD self-management. Mobile apps targeting end users in China with CVD conditions were selected in February 2017 through a multi-stage process. Three frameworks were used to evaluate the selected apps: (1) types of health information offered were assessed using our Health Information Wants framework, which encompasses 7 types of information; (2) quality of information provided in the apps was assessed using the 11 guidelines recommended by the National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health; and (3) types of interactive app functions for CVD self-management were assessed using a 15-item framework adapted from the literature, including our own prior work. Of 578 apps identified, 82 were eligible for final review. Among these, information about self-care (67/82, 82%) and information specifically regarding CVD (63/82, 77%) were the most common types of information provided, while information about health care providers (22/82, 27%) and laboratory tests (5/82, 6%) were least common. The most common indicators of information quality were the revealing of apps' providers (82/82, 100%) and purpose (82/82, 100%), while the least common quality indicators were the revealing of how apps' information was selected (1/82, 1%) and app sponsorship (0/82, 0%). The most common interactive functions for CVD self-management were those that enabled user interaction with the app provider (57/82, 70%) and with health care providers (36/82, 44

  19. Preparation and evaluation of nattokinase-loaded self-double-emulsifying drug delivery system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaona Wang

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available In the present study, we prepared nattokinase-loaded self-double-emulsifying drug delivery system (SDEDDS and investigated its preliminary pharmacodynamics. The type and concentration of oil phase, inner aqueous phase and emulsifier were screened to prepare optimum nattokinase-loaded SDEDDS. Next, the optimum formulations were characterized based on microstructure, volume-weighted mean droplet size, self-emulsifying rate, yield, storage stability, in vitro release and in vivo pharmacodynamics studies. The water/oil/water multiple emulsions exhibited typical multiple structure, with relatively small volume-weighted mean droplet size 6.0 ± 0.7 μm and high self-emulsifying ability (self-emulsifying time <2 min. Encapsulation of nattokinase was up to 86.8 ± 8.2%. The cumulative release of nattokinase within 8 h was about 30%, exhibiting a sustained release effect. The pharmacodynamics study indicated that nattokinase-loaded SDEDDS could significantly prolong the whole blood clotting time in mouse and effectively improve the carrageenan-induced tail thrombosis compared with nattokinase solution. Moreover, we showed that SDEDDS could successfully self-emulsify into water/oil/water multiple emulsions upon dilution in dispersion medium with gentle stirring and effectively protect nattokinase activity in gastric environment. Our findings suggested that SDEDDS could be a promising strategy for peptide and protein drugs by oral administration.

  20. Specification for self contained emergency luminiare and their qualification for a nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Srinivasan, R.; Shanmugam, T.K.

    1999-01-01

    Self contained emergency luminiare (SCEL) for application in a nuclear plant shall meet the illumination level requirement of ANSI/NFPA 101-1988 (Life Safety Code) Section 5.8. The testing shall be done as per IS 9583-1981 requirements. In the selection of self contained emergency luminiare the Sealed Maintenance Free (SMF) battery characteristic and Ampere-Hour ratings are to be carefully evaluated

  1. Prevalence and co-occurrence of compulsive buying, problematic Internet and mobile phone use in college students in Yantai, China: relevance of self-traits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Zhaocai; Shi, Mingyan

    2016-12-01

    Until now, most research in the prevalence of compulsive buying (CB) has been developed from samples in western developed countries, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence and co-morbidities of CB, problematic Internet use (PIU) and problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) in college students in Yantai, China. Moreover, based on the lack of research focusing on differences between CB and addiction, we will explore whether CB and PIU/PMPU individuals are characterized by the same self-traits (i. e., self-control, self-esteem and self-efficacy) related profile. A total of 601 college students were involved in this cross-sectional study. Compulsive buying, problematic Internet and mobile phone use and self-traits were assessed by self-reported questionnaires. The demographic information and use characteristics were included in the questionnaires. The incidence of CB, PIU and PMPU were 5.99, 27.8 and 8.99% respectively. In addition, compared with rural students, students from cities are more likely to get involved in CB. Students using mobile phone to surf the Internet displayed higher risk of PIU than counterparts using computer. Students using Internet or mobile phone longer are more prone to problematic use. Furthermore, we found the strong correlations and high co-morbidities of CB, PIU and PMPU and self-control was the most significant predictor for all three disorders. However, self-esteem and self-efficacy were significant predictors only for CB. Our findings indicated that with the prevalence of CB and PMPU roughly equivalent to that demonstrated in previous studies, PIU in Chinese college students is serious and deserves more attention. Furthermore, besides the impulsive aspect common with addiction, CB is also driven by painful self-awareness derived from low self-regard which implies the obsessive-compulsive aspect.

  2. Prevalence and co-occurrence of compulsive buying, problematic Internet and mobile phone use in college students in Yantai, China: relevance of self-traits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhaocai Jiang

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Until now, most research in the prevalence of compulsive buying (CB has been developed from samples in western developed countries, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence and co-morbidities of CB, problematic Internet use (PIU and problematic mobile phone use (PMPU in college students in Yantai, China. Moreover, based on the lack of research focusing on differences between CB and addiction, we will explore whether CB and PIU/PMPU individuals are characterized by the same self-traits (i. e., self-control, self-esteem and self-efficacy related profile. Methods A total of 601 college students were involved in this cross-sectional study. Compulsive buying, problematic Internet and mobile phone use and self-traits were assessed by self-reported questionnaires. The demographic information and use characteristics were included in the questionnaires. Results The incidence of CB, PIU and PMPU were 5.99, 27.8 and 8.99% respectively. In addition, compared with rural students, students from cities are more likely to get involved in CB. Students using mobile phone to surf the Internet displayed higher risk of PIU than counterparts using computer. Students using Internet or mobile phone longer are more prone to problematic use. Furthermore, we found the strong correlations and high co-morbidities of CB, PIU and PMPU and self-control was the most significant predictor for all three disorders. However, self-esteem and self-efficacy were significant predictors only for CB. Conclusions Our findings indicated that with the prevalence of CB and PMPU roughly equivalent to that demonstrated in previous studies, PIU in Chinese college students is serious and deserves more attention. Furthermore, besides the impulsive aspect common with addiction, CB is also driven by painful self-awareness derived from low self-regard which implies the obsessive-compulsive aspect.

  3. TEACHERS TRAINING FOR EDUCATION OF TEENAGE MOBILITY IN THE SYSTEM OF ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuliya Vadimovna Naidanova

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. The article is devoted to the problem of teachers training for education of teenage mobility in the system of additional professional education. The author’s aim is to describe the model of teachers training for education of teenage mobility and the complex of organizational-pedagogical conditions for its implementation. Methods. The basis of the research is the theoretical (theoretical analysis and synthesis of information contained in the pedagogical, psychological literature about the problem of research, modeling research methods. Results. The results of this work consist in the fact that the author gives a definition of the concept “teachers training for education of teenage mobility”, describes the model of teachers training for education of teenage mobility, which contains of an orientating, contensive-methodical and diagnostic-valuative component; stages of design and implementation of the program for education of teenage mobility; block of development and realization of mobility self-education programs; offers a complex of organizational-pedagogical conditions for implementation of model, which includes the developing of a unified information-educational environment for the educational program participants of additional professional education; pedagogical facilitation self- education for mobility of the participants; continuous feedback as the basis for organizing the productive and creative cooperation of the educational process subjects. Practical implication. The results of this research can be applied to train teachers for fulfillment of new labor functions in the system of additional professional education.

  4. Using mobile technology to optimize disease surveillance and healthcare delivery at mass gatherings: a case study from India's Kumbh Mela.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazi, Dhruv S; Greenough, P Gregg; Madhok, Rishi; Heerboth, Aaron; Shaikh, Ahmed; Leaning, Jennifer; Balsari, Satchit

    2017-09-01

    Planning for mass gatherings often includes temporary healthcare systems to address the needs of attendees. However, paper-based record keeping has traditionally precluded the timely application of collected clinical data for epidemic surveillance or optimization of healthcare delivery. We evaluated the feasibility of harnessing ubiquitous mobile technologies for conducting disease surveillance and monitoring resource utilization at the Allahabad Kumbh Mela in India, a 55-day festival attended by over 70 million people. We developed an inexpensive, tablet-based customized disease surveillance system with real-time analytic capabilities, and piloted it at five field hospitals. The system captured 49 131 outpatient encounters over the 3-week study period. The most common presenting complaints were musculoskeletal pain (19%), fever (17%), cough (17%), coryza (16%) and diarrhoea (5%). The majority of patients received at least one prescription. The most common prescriptions were for antimicrobials, acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. There was great inter-site variability in caseload with the busiest hospital seeing 650% more patients than the least busy hospital, despite identical staffing. Mobile-based health information solutions developed with a focus on user-centred design can be successfully deployed at mass gatherings in resource-scarce settings to optimize care delivery by providing real-time access to field data. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health.

  5. Lesson Learned from Collecting Quantified Self Information via Mobile and Wearable Devices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reza Rawassizadeh

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available The ubiquity and affordability of mobile and wearable devices has enabled us to continually and digitally record our daily life activities. Consequently, we are seeing the growth of data collection experiments in several scientific disciplines. Although these have yielded promising results, mobile and wearable data collection experiments are often restricted to a specific configuration that has been designed for a unique study goal. These approaches do not address all the real-world challenges of “continuous data collection” systems. As a result, there have been few discussions or reports about such issues that are faced when “implementing these platforms” in a practical situation. To address this, we have summarized our technical and user-centric findings from three lifelogging and Quantified Self data collection studies, which we have conducted in real-world settings, for both smartphones and smartwatches. In addition to (i privacy and (ii battery related issues; based on our findings we recommend further works to consider (iii implementing multivariate reflection of the data; (iv resolving the uncertainty and data loss; and (v consider to minimize the manual intervention required by users. These findings have provided insights that can be used as a guideline for further Quantified Self or lifelogging studies.

  6. Formulation and characterisation of self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems based on biocompatible nonionic surfactants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Đekić Ljiljana M.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Development of self-dispersing drug delivery systems (SMEDDS is a modern strategy for oral delivery improvement of poorly soluble drugs. Self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS are isotropic mixtures of oils and hydrophilic surfactants, which form oil-in-water (o/w microemulsions by dilution in aqueous media (e.g., gastrointestinal fluids. Formulation of SMEDDS carriers requires consideration of a large number of formulation parameters and their influences on process of self-microemulsifying and releasing of drug. The aim of this work was formulation and characterisation of SMEDDS for oral administration of ibuprofen. In the experimental work, two series of potential SMEDDS were prepared (M1-M10, using surfactant (Labrasol®, Gattefosse, cosurfactant (PEG-40 hydrogenated castor (Cremophor® RH40, and oil (medium chain triglycerides (Crodamol® GTCC and olive oil (Cropur® Olive, at surfactant-to-cosurfactant mass ratios (Km 9:1, 7:3, 5:5, 3:7, and 1:9, and 10 % or 20 % of the oil phase. Ibuprofen was dissolved in formulations in concentration of 10 %. Characterisation of the investigated formulations included evaluation of physical stability, self-microemulsification ability in 0,1M HCl (pH 1.2 and phosphate buffer pH 7.2 (USP and in vitro drug release. Formation of o/w microemulsions with the average droplet size (Z-ave up to 100 nm, was observed in dispersions of formulations prepared with 10% w/w of medium chain triglycerides, within the entire investigated range of the Km values (M1-M5. These formulations were selected as SMEDDS. Results of characterisation pointed out the importance of the type and concentration of the oil as well as the Km value for the self-microemulsying ability as well as drug release kinetics from the investigated SMEDDS. Ibuprofen relase was in accordance with the request of USP 30-NF 25 (at least 80 %, after 60 min from the formulations M1 (Km 9:1 and M5 (Km 1:9. Furthermore, ibuprofen release was

  7. Association of self-reported cognitive concerns with mobility in people with lower limb loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Valerie E; Morgan, Sara J; Amtmann, Dagmar; Salem, Rana; Hafner, Brian J

    2018-01-01

    This study tested the hypothesis that greater perceived cognitive concerns are associated with worse mobility in a cohort of prosthesis users with lower limb loss (LLL). We performed a secondary analysis of cross-sectional self-report data from a volunteer sample of people with LLL due to dysvascular and non-dysvacular causes. Perceived cognitive difficulties were assessed using the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders Applied Cognition - General Concerns (Neuro-QoL ACGC). Mobility was measured with the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) and the Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility (PLUS-M). Simple linear regressions examined univariate relationships between cognitive concerns and mobility. Multiple linear regression analyses included demographic and amputation-related variables that could influence this relationship. Analysis of data from 1291 people with LLL demonstrated that greater cognitive concerns, measured by the Neuro-QoL ACGC, were associated with poorer perceived mobility, measured by both ABC and PLUS-M instruments. This relationship remained statistically significant after adjusting for demographic and amputation-related factors. These results suggest that greater cognitive concerns are associated with worse mobility among a broad range of people with LLL. An improved understanding of this relationship is critical for optimizing rehabilitation outcomes for this population. Implications for rehabilitation Rehabilitation for people with lower limb loss (LLL) typically focuses on physical impairments and mobility limitations, but cognition is increasingly recognized to have an impact on functional outcomes. Greater perceived cognitive concerns are associated with poorer mobility among a broad range of people with LLL, even when adjusting for demographic and amputation-related factors. Cognitive status can impact relevant rehabilitative outcomes, including mobility, and should be considered when planning prosthetic and therapeutic

  8. On the mobility of delocalized and self-trapped positronium states in ionic crystals

    CERN Document Server

    Bondarev, I V

    2003-01-01

    The temperature dependence of the diffusivity is studied for delocalized and self-trapped positronium (Ps) atoms in ionic crystals. Detailed calculations taking into account low-temperature and inelastic scattering corrections and a Ps scattering form-factor have been performed for delocalized Ps. Low-temperature and inelastic corrections to the delocalized Ps diffusivity are shown to be essential below several tens of K, while the form-factor contribution is negligibly small up to thousand K. The mobility of self-trapped Ps is analyzed within the framework of a small polaron approach. The hopping contribution to the self-trapped Ps diffusivity is shown to be adiabatic in its physical nature. The tunnel contribution is in general not small and may turn out to be dominating even at very high temperatures. (Abstract Copyright [2003], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

  9. Optimizing delivery of recovery-oriented online self-management strategies for bipolar disorder: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leitan, Nuwan D; Michalak, Erin E; Berk, Lesley; Berk, Michael; Murray, Greg

    2015-03-01

    Self-management is emerging as a viable alternative to difficult-to-access psychosocial treatments for bipolar disorder (BD), and has particular relevance to recovery-related goals around empowerment and personal meaning. This review examines data and theory on BD self-management from a recovery-oriented perspective, with a particular focus on optimizing low-intensity delivery of self-management tools via the web. A critical evaluation of various literatures was undertaken. Literatures on recovery, online platforms, and self-management in mental health and BD are reviewed. The literature suggests that the self-management approach aligns with the recovery framework. However, studies have identified a number of potential barriers to the utilization of self-management programs for BD and it has been suggested that utilizing an online environment may be an effective way to surmount many of these barriers. Online self-management programs for BD are rapidly developing, and in parallel the recovery perspective is becoming the dominant paradigm for mental health services worldwide, so research is urgently required to assess the efficacy and safety of optimization methods such as professional and/or peer support, tailoring and the development of 'online communities'. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Thermosensitive Self-Assembling Block Copolymers as Drug Delivery Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanni Filippo Palmieri

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Self-assembling block copolymers (poloxamers, PEG/PLA and PEG/PLGA diblock and triblock copolymers, PEG/polycaprolactone, polyether modified poly(Acrylic Acid with large solubility difference between hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties have the property of forming temperature dependent micellar aggregates and, after a further temperature increase, of gellifying due to micelle aggregation or packing. This property enables drugs to be mixed in the sol state at room temperature then the solution can be injected into a target tissue, forming a gel depot in-situ at body temperature with the goal of providing drug release control. The presence of micellar structures that give rise to thermoreversible gels, characterized by low toxicity and mucomimetic properties, makes this delivery system capable of solubilizing water-insoluble or poorly soluble drugs and of protecting labile molecules such as proteins and peptide drugs.

  11. Self-reported dependence on mobile phones in young adults: A European cross-cultural empirical survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez-Fernandez, Olatz; Kuss, Daria J.; Romo, Lucia; Morvan, Yannick; Kern, Laurence; Graziani, Pierluigi; Rousseau, Amélie; Rumpf, Hans-Jürgen; Bischof, Anja; Gässler, Ann-Kathrin; Schimmenti, Adriano; Passanisi, Alessia; Männikkö, Niko; Kääriänen, Maria; Demetrovics, Zsolt; Király, Orsolya; Chóliz, Mariano; Zacarés, Juan José; Serra, Emilia; Griffiths, Mark D.; Pontes, Halley M.; Lelonek-Kuleta, Bernadeta; Chwaszcz, Joanna; Zullino, Daniele; Rochat, Lucien; Achab, Sophia; Billieux, Joël

    2017-01-01

    Background and aims Despite many positive benefits, mobile phone use can be associated with harmful and detrimental behaviors. The aim of this study was twofold: to examine (a) cross-cultural patterns of perceived dependence on mobile phones in ten European countries, first, grouped in four different regions (North: Finland and UK; South: Spain and Italy; East: Hungary and Poland; West: France, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland), and second by country, and (b) how socio-demographics, geographic differences, mobile phone usage patterns, and associated activities predicted this perceived dependence. Methods A sample of 2,775 young adults (aged 18–29 years) were recruited in different European Universities who participated in an online survey. Measures included socio-demographic variables, patterns of mobile phone use, and the dependence subscale of a short version of the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (PMPUQ; Billieux, Van der Linden, & Rochat, 2008). Results The young adults from the Northern and Southern regions reported the heaviest use of mobile phones, whereas perceived dependence was less prevalent in the Eastern region. However, the proportion of highly dependent mobile phone users was more elevated in Belgium, UK, and France. Regression analysis identified several risk factors for increased scores on the PMPUQ dependence subscale, namely using mobile phones daily, being female, engaging in social networking, playing video games, shopping and viewing TV shows through the Internet, chatting and messaging, and using mobile phones for downloading-related activities. Discussion and conclusions Self-reported dependence on mobile phone use is influenced by frequency and specific application usage. PMID:28425777

  12. Self-reported dependence on mobile phones in young adults: A European cross-cultural empirical survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez-Fernandez, Olatz; Kuss, Daria J; Romo, Lucia; Morvan, Yannick; Kern, Laurence; Graziani, Pierluigi; Rousseau, Amélie; Rumpf, Hans-Jürgen; Bischof, Anja; Gässler, Ann-Kathrin; Schimmenti, Adriano; Passanisi, Alessia; Männikkö, Niko; Kääriänen, Maria; Demetrovics, Zsolt; Király, Orsolya; Chóliz, Mariano; Zacarés, Juan José; Serra, Emilia; Griffiths, Mark D; Pontes, Halley M; Lelonek-Kuleta, Bernadeta; Chwaszcz, Joanna; Zullino, Daniele; Rochat, Lucien; Achab, Sophia; Billieux, Joël

    2017-06-01

    Background and aims Despite many positive benefits, mobile phone use can be associated with harmful and detrimental behaviors. The aim of this study was twofold: to examine (a) cross-cultural patterns of perceived dependence on mobile phones in ten European countries, first, grouped in four different regions (North: Finland and UK; South: Spain and Italy; East: Hungary and Poland; West: France, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland), and second by country, and (b) how socio-demographics, geographic differences, mobile phone usage patterns, and associated activities predicted this perceived dependence. Methods A sample of 2,775 young adults (aged 18-29 years) were recruited in different European Universities who participated in an online survey. Measures included socio-demographic variables, patterns of mobile phone use, and the dependence subscale of a short version of the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (PMPUQ; Billieux, Van der Linden, & Rochat, 2008). Results The young adults from the Northern and Southern regions reported the heaviest use of mobile phones, whereas perceived dependence was less prevalent in the Eastern region. However, the proportion of highly dependent mobile phone users was more elevated in Belgium, UK, and France. Regression analysis identified several risk factors for increased scores on the PMPUQ dependence subscale, namely using mobile phones daily, being female, engaging in social networking, playing video games, shopping and viewing TV shows through the Internet, chatting and messaging, and using mobile phones for downloading-related activities. Discussion and conclusions Self-reported dependence on mobile phone use is influenced by frequency and specific application usage.

  13. Robust, Self-Contained and Bio-Inspired Shear Sensor Array, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The proposed innovation is a robust, bio-inspired, and self-contained sensor array for the measurement of shear stress. The proposed system uses commercially...

  14. A Hybrid Web Browser Architecture for Mobile Devices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    CHO, J.

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Web browsing on mobile networks is slow in comparison to wired or Wi-Fi networks. Particularly, the connection establishment phase including DNS lookups and TCP handshakes takes a long time on mobile networks due to its long round-trip latency. In this paper, we propose a novel web browser architecture that aims to improve mobile web browsing performance. Our approach delegates the connection establishment and HTTP header field delivery tasks to a dedicated proxy server located at the joint point between the WAN and mobile network. Since the traffic for the connection establishment and HTTP header fields delivery passes only through the WAN between the proxy and web servers, our approach significantly reduces both the number and size of packets on the mobile network. Our evaluation showed that the proposed scheme reduces the number of mobile network packets by up to 42% and, consequently, the average page loading time is shortened by up to 52%.

  15. mobile Digital Access to a Web-enhanced Network (mDAWN): Assessing the Feasibility of Mobile Health Tools for Self-Management of Type-2 Diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Kendall; Newton, Lana; Boothe, Allison; Novak-Lauscher, Helen

    2015-01-01

    The mobile Digital Access to a Web-enhanced Network (mDAWN) program was implemented as an online, mobile self-management system to support patients with type-2 diabetes and their informal caregivers. Patients used wireless physiological sensors, received text messages, and had access to a secure web platform with health resources and semi-facilitated discussion forum. Outcomes were evaluated using (1) pre and post self-reported health behavior measures, (2) physiological outcomes, (3) program cost, and (4) in-depth participant interviews. The group had significantly decreased health distress, HbA1c levels, and systolic blood pressure. Participants largely saw the mDAWN as providing good value for the costs involved and found the program to be empowering in gaining control over their diabetes. mHealth programs have the potential to improve clinical outcomes through cost effective patient-led care for chronic illness. Further evaluation needs to examine integration of similar mHealth programs into the patient-physician relationship.

  16. Mobile applications for chronic disease self-management : building a bridge for behavior change

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aija Lähdesmäki

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Background One of the biggest challenges in the future of healthcare is the rising prevalence of chronic, non-communicable diseases. In high-income countries seven out of ten leading risk factors of death are caused by the way people eat, drink or move. Health behavior patterns are considered to account for 40 % of early mortality. If nothing changes, from 2011 until 2030 the cost of chronic disease in the whole world may reach 47 trillion dollars. It is clear that chronic disease care needs to change. Today people with chronic disease spend less than 0,1 % of their time yearly in direct contact with healthcare and guidance. The rest of the time they are under the influence of family, colleagues, acquaintances, media and all the conflicting information from them. Digital elements are emerging in healthcare. Some of these digital elements emerging are mobile applications. Of all the people in Finland, 70 % own a smartphone. These devices are often in the proximity of their owner; in a pocket or a purse, making them easy and fast to use for various purposes. This is why they can also prove to be useful tools for personal healthcare and chronic disease self-management support, for example for recording diet and exercise related values as well as various disease specific values like blood glucose or blood pressure measurements. They also enable two-way interaction with healthcare professionals and patients in their everyday life. This requires well designed applications that affect the patient’s health behavior and are tempting to use. According to research, this is not always the case. Aim The aim of this thesis study was to find out how multipurpose mobile applications intended for chronic disease self-management implement known behavior change techniques in order to change behavior, and to find out how they utilize known gamification features in order to maintain the change. The purpose of this study was to create a new, multidisciplinary

  17. Morphology-Variable Aggregates Prepared from Cholesterol-Containing Amphiphilic Glycopolymers: Their Protein Recognition/Adsorption and Drug Delivery Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhao Wang

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available In this study, a series of diblock glycopolymers, poly(6-O-methacryloyl-d-galactopyranose-b-poly(6-cholesteryloxyhexyl methacrylate (PMAgala-b-PMAChols, with cholesterol/galactose grafts were prepared through a sequential reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT polymerization and deprotection process. The glycopolymers could self-assemble into aggregates with various morphologies depending on cholesterol/galactose-containing block weight ratios, as determined by transmission electronic microscopy (TEM and dynamic laser light scattering (DLS. In addition, the lectin (Ricinus communis agglutinin II, RCA120 recognition and bovine serum albumin (BSA adsorption of the PMAgala-b-PMAChol aggregates were evaluated. The SK-Hep-1 tumor cell inhibition properties of the PMAgala-b-PMAChol/doxorubicin (DOX complex aggregates were further examined in vitro. Results indicate that the PMAgala-b-PMAChol aggregates with various morphologies showed different interaction/recognition features with RCA120 and BSA. Spherical aggregates (d ≈ 92 nm possessed the highest RCA120 recognition ability and lowest BSA protein adsorption. In addition, the DOX-loaded spherical complex aggregates exhibited a better tumor cell inhibition property than those of nanofibrous complex aggregates. The morphology-variable aggregates derived from the amphiphilic glycopolymers may serve as multifunctional biomaterials with biomolecular recognition and drug delivery features.

  18. Fall-related self-efficacy, not balance and mobility performance, is related to accidental falls in chronic stroke survivors with low bone mineral density.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pang, M Y C; Eng, J J

    2008-07-01

    Chronic stroke survivors with low hip bone density are particularly prone to fractures. This study shows that fear of falling is independently associated with falls in this population. Thus, fear of falling should not be overlooked in the prevention of fragility fractures in these patients. Chronic stroke survivors with low bone mineral density (BMD) are particularly prone to fragility fractures. The purpose of this study was to identify the determinants of balance, mobility and falls in this sub-group of stroke patients. Thirty-nine chronic stroke survivors with low hip BMD (T-score fall-related self-efficacy. Any falls in the past 12 months were also recorded. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify the determinants of balance and mobility performance, whereas logistic regression was used to identify the determinants of falls. Multiple regression analysis revealed that after adjusting for basic demographics, fall-related self-efficacy remained independently associated with balance/mobility performance (R2 = 0.494, P fall-related self-efficacy, but not balance and mobility performance, was a significant determinant of falls (odds ratio: 0.18, P = 0.04). Fall-related self-efficacy, but not mobility and balance performance, was the most important determinant of accidental falls. This psychological factor should not be overlooked in the prevention of fragility fractures among chronic stroke survivors with low hip BMD.

  19. Acceptance test procedure for a portable, self-contained nitrogen supply

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kostelnik, A.J.

    1994-01-01

    This Acceptance Test Procedure (ATP) will document compliance with the requirements of WHC-S-0249 Rev. 1 and ECN 606112. The equipment being tested is a Portable, Self-Contained Nitrogen Supply. The unit was purchased as a Design and Fabrication procurement activity. The Functional Test was written by the Seller and is contained in Appendix A. The Functional test will be performed by the Seller with representatives of the Westinghouse Hanford Company performing inspection and witnessing the functional test at the Seller's location

  20. 10 CFR 32.22 - Self-luminous products containing tritium, krypton-85 or promethium-147: Requirements for license...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Self-luminous products containing tritium, krypton-85 or... containing tritium, krypton-85 or promethium-147: Requirements for license to manufacture, process, produce... self-luminous products containing tritium, krypton-85, or promethium-147, or to initially transfer such...

  1. Liposomes containing alkylated methotrexate analogues for phospholipase A(2) mediated tumor targeted drug delivery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kaasgaard, Thomas; Andresen, Thomas Lars; Jensen, Simon Skøde

    2009-01-01

    of alkylated compounds in liposomes, it was demonstrated that the MTX-analogue partitioned into the water phase and thereby became available for cell uptake. It was concluded that liposomes containing alkylated MTX-analogues show promise as a drug delivery system, although the MTX-analogue needs to be more......Two lipophilic methotrexate analogues have been synthesized and evaluated for cytotoxicity against KATO III and HT-29 human colon cancer cells. Both analogues contained a C-16-alkyl chain attached to the gamma-carboxylic acid and one of the analogues had an additional benzyl group attached...... cytotoxicity was incorporated into liposomes that were designed to be particularly Susceptible to a liposome degrading enzyme, secretory phospholipase A(2) (sPLA(2)), which is found in high concentrations in tumors of several different cancer types. Liposome incorporation was investigated by differential...

  2. Microencapsulation of self-healing agents containing a fluorescent dye

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. K. Lee

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Two different self-healing agent candidates, endo-dicyclopentadiene (endo-DCPD and 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene (ENB, containing a fluorescent dye surrounded by a melamine–urea–formaldehyde (MUF shell were microencapsulated by in-situ polymerization and the resulting microcapsules were characterized in this work. The microcapsules showed a narrow size distribution with a spherical shape and rough outer and smooth inner surfaces for both healing agent systems. Shell thicknesses of the microcapsules were ~880±80 nm for endo-DCPD and ~620±60 nm for ENB. The incorporation of a fluorescent dye as tracer into self-healing agents did not disturb the formation of microcapsules. The release of self-healing liquid into the induced crack from ruptured microcapsules in an epoxy coating layer was observed using a fluorescence microscopy. The use of a fluorescent dye is very effective in the observation of a damage site.

  3. Six-month Outcomes of Mobile Phone Application-based Self-management in a Patient with Type 2 Diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Mi Kyeong; Cho, Young Yun; Rha, Mi Yong; Kim, Jae Hyeon; Lee, Moon-Kyu

    2015-07-01

    We report the case in order to examine the effect of a mobile application program ("Diabetes & Nutrition") developed in 2011-2012 for self-management in patients with type 2 diabetes and to recommend important considerations when the mobile application program is developed. A 46-year-old man was newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2013 and had no complications. The height of the patient was 168 cm and the body weight was 75.6 kg. Nutrition education was conducted according to a medical prescription, and follow-up nutrition education was conducted after 3 and 6 months. After nutrition education, the patient was engaged in self-management using "Diabetes & Nutrition" program during 3 months. At 3 months, the body weight had decreased by 4.4 kg (from 75.6 to 71.2 kg), waist circumference by 5 cm (from 88 to 83 cm) and HbA1c level from 7.9% to 6.1%. Also at 3 months, the medication was reduced from from the dose of 850 mg to the dose of 500 mg metformin per twice a day. Since then, the patient did not continue to use the "Diabetes & Nutrition" because the level of blood glucose had stabilized, and the patient felt inconvenient and annoying to use the program. At 6 months, no significant change in the body weight and body composition was observed in comparison with those at 3 months. The present case demonstrates that the early use of "Diabetes & Nutrition" could be helpful for self-management of glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Developing self-management mobile application programs in the future will require strategies of how to promote continuous use of application program and self-management of type 2 diabetes.

  4. Novel tumor-targeting, self-assembling peptide nanofiber as a carrier for effective curcumin delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu J

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Jianfeng Liu, Jinjian Liu, Hongyan Xu, Yumin Zhang, Liping Chu, Qingfen Liu, Naling Song, Cuihong YangTianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, People's Republic of ChinaAbstract: The poor aqueous solubility and low bioavailability of curcumin restrict its clinical application for cancer treatment. In this study, a novel tumor-targeting nanofiber carrier was developed to improve the solubility and tumor-targeting ability of curcumin using a self-assembled Nap-GFFYG-RGD peptide. The morphologies of the peptide nanofiber and the curcumin-encapsulated nanofiber were visualized by transmission electron microscopy. The tumor-targeting activity of the curcumin-encapsulated Nap-GFFYG-RGD peptide nanofiber (f-RGD-Cur was studied in vitro and in vivo, using Nap-GFFYG-RGE peptide nanofiber (f-RGE-Cur as the control. Curcumin was encapsulated into the peptide nanofiber, which had a diameter of approximately 10–20 nm. Curcumin showed sustained-release behavior from the nanofibers in vitro. f-RGD-Cur showed much higher cellular uptake in αvβ3 integrin-positive HepG2 liver carcinoma cells than did non-targeted f-RGE-Cur, thereby leading to significantly higher cytotoxicity. Ex vivo studies further demonstrated that curcumin could accumulate markedly in mouse tumors after administration of f-RGD-Cur via the tail vein. These results indicate that Nap-GFFYG-RGD peptide self-assembled nanofibers are a promising hydrophobic drug delivery system for targeted treatment of cancer.Keywords: nanofiber, tumor-targeting, self-assembling, curcumin, drug delivery

  5. Tween 80 containing lipid nanoemulsions for delivery of indinavir to brain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kandadi Prabhakar

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Indinavir is a protease inhibitor used in the treatment of HIV infection. However, it has limited efficacy in eradicating the virus in the brain due to efflux by P-glycoprotein (P-gp expressed at the blood–brain barrier (BBB. The objective of this work was to develop an o/w lipid nanoemulsion (LNE of indinavir using Tween 80 as co-emulsifier to improve its brain specific delivery. LNEs were prepared with different compositions and were characterized for globule size, polydispersity index, zeta potential and in vitro drug release. Five formulations were then evaluated for drug content, entrapment efficiency and stability after which brain uptake studies were carried out using fluorescent labeled LNEs and pharmacokinetic (PK and tissue distribution studies were conducted after intravenous administration in mice. Brain uptake of indinavir was shown to be improved for a 1% Tween 80 containing formulation (F5 compared to a formulation containing 0.3% cholesterol (F2. In PK studies, the brain level of indinavir subsequent to administration of F5 was significantly (P<0.05 higher than produced by administration of a drug solution (2.44-fold or a control nanoemulsion (F1 (1.48-fold or formulation F2 (1.6-fold. The increased brain specific accumulation of indinavir from F5 is probably due to enhanced low density lipoprotein-mediated endocytosis and P-gp inhibition by Tween 80 at the BBB. These results suggest Tween 80 containing LNEs could provide a simple but effective means of delivering indinavir to brain.

  6. 16 CFR 1500.46 - Method for determining flashpoint of extremely flammable contents of self-pressurized containers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... extremely flammable contents of self-pressurized containers. 1500.46 Section 1500.46 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION FEDERAL HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES ACT REGULATIONS HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES AND... extremely flammable contents of self-pressurized containers. Use the apparatus described in § 1500.43a. Use...

  7. Self-care and mobility skills in children with cerebral palsy, related to their manual ability and gross motor function classifications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Öhrvall, Ann-Marie; Eliasson, Ann-Christin; Löwing, Kristina; Ödman, Pia; Krumlinde-Sundholm, Lena

    2010-11-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the acquisition of self-care and mobility skills in children with cerebral palsy (CP) in relation to their manual ability and gross motor function. Data from the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) self-care and mobility functional skill scales, the Manual Ability Classification System (MACS), and the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) were collected from 195 children with CP (73 females, 122 males; mean age 8 y 1 mo; SD 3 y 11 mo; range 3-15 y); 51% had spastic bilateral CP, 36% spastic unilateral CP, 8% dyskinetic CP, and 3% ataxic CP. The percentage of children classified as MACS levels I to V was 28%, 34%, 17%, 7%, and 14% respectively, and classified as GMFCS levels I to V was 46%, 16%, 15%, 11%, and 12% respectively. Children classified as MACS and GMFCS levels I or II scored higher than children in MACS and GMFCS levels III to V on both the self-care and mobility domains of the PEDI, with significant differences between all classification levels (pskills (66%) and that GMFCS was the strongest predictor of mobility skills (76%). A strong correlation between age and self-care ability was found among children classified as MACS level I or II and between age and mobility among children classified as GMFCS level I. Many of these children achieved independence, but at a later age than typically developing children. Children at other MACS and GMFCS levels demonstrated minimal progress with age. Knowledge of a child's MACS and GMFCS level can be useful when discussing expectations of, and goals for, the development of functional skills. © The Authors. Journal compilation © Mac Keith Press 2010.

  8. Self-management toolkit and delivery strategy for end-of-life pain: the mixed-methods feasibility study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennett, Michael I; Mulvey, Matthew R; Campling, Natasha; Latter, Sue; Richardson, Alison; Bekker, Hilary; Blenkinsopp, Alison; Carder, Paul; Closs, Jose; Farrin, Amanda; Flemming, Kate; Gallagher, Jean; Meads, David; Morley, Stephen; O'Dwyer, John; Wright-Hughes, Alexandra; Hartley, Suzanne

    2017-12-01

    Pain affects most people approaching the end of life and can be severe for some. Opioid analgesia is effective, but evidence is needed about how best to support patients in managing these medicines. To develop a self-management support toolkit (SMST) and delivery strategy and to test the feasibility of evaluating this intervention in a future definitive trial. Phase I - evidence synthesis and qualitative interviews with patients and carers. Phase II - qualitative semistructured focus groups and interviews with patients, carers and specialist palliative care health professionals. Phase III - multicentre mixed-methods single-arm pre-post observational feasibility study. Phase I - six patients and carers. Phase II - 15 patients, four carers and 19 professionals. Phase III - 19 patients recruited to intervention that experienced pain, living at home and were treated with strong opioid analgesia. Process evaluation interviews with 13 patients, seven carers and 11 study nurses. Self-Management of Analgesia and Related Treatments at the end of life (SMART) intervention comprising a SMST and a four-step educational delivery approach by clinical nurse specialists in palliative care over 6 weeks. Recruitment rate, treatment fidelity, treatment acceptability, patient-reported outcomes (such as scores on the Brief Pain Inventory, Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease Scale, Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale, EuroQol-5 Dimensions, Satisfaction with Information about Medicines Scale, and feasibility of collecting data on health-care resource use for economic evaluation). Phase I - key themes on supported self-management were identified from evidence synthesis and qualitative interviews. Phase II - the SMST was developed and refined. The delivery approach was nested within a nurse-patient consultation. Phase III - intervention was delivered to 17 (89%) patients, follow-up data at 6 weeks were available on 15 patients. Overall, the intervention was viewed as acceptable and

  9. A Comprehensive Study of Data Collection Schemes Using Mobile Sinks in Wireless Sensor Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Abdul Waheed; Abdullah, Abdul Hanan; Anisi, Mohammad Hossein; Bangash, Javed Iqbal

    2014-01-01

    Recently sink mobility has been exploited in numerous schemes to prolong the lifetime of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Contrary to traditional WSNs where sensory data from sensor field is ultimately sent to a static sink, mobile sink-based approaches alleviate energy-holes issues thereby facilitating balanced energy consumption among nodes. In mobility scenarios, nodes need to keep track of the latest location of mobile sinks for data delivery. However, frequent propagation of sink topological updates undermines the energy conservation goal and therefore should be controlled. Furthermore, controlled propagation of sinks' topological updates affects the performance of routing strategies thereby increasing data delivery latency and reducing packet delivery ratios. This paper presents a taxonomy of various data collection/dissemination schemes that exploit sink mobility. Based on how sink mobility is exploited in the sensor field, we classify existing schemes into three classes, namely path constrained, path unconstrained, and controlled sink mobility-based schemes. We also organize existing schemes based on their primary goals and provide a comparative study to aid readers in selecting the appropriate scheme in accordance with their particular intended applications and network dynamics. Finally, we conclude our discussion with the identification of some unresolved issues in pursuit of data delivery to a mobile sink. PMID:24504107

  10. Boosting antenatal care attendance and number of hospital deliveries among pregnant women in rural communities: a community initiative in Ghana based on mobile phones applications and portable ultrasound scans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amoah, Benjamin; Anto, Evelyn A; Osei, Prince K; Pieterson, Kojo; Crimi, Alessandro

    2016-06-14

    The World Health Organization has recommended at least four antenatal care (ANC) visits and skilled attendants at birth. Most pregnant women in rural communities in low-income countries do not achieve the minimum recommended visits and deliver without skilled attendants. With the aim of increasing number of ANC visits, reducing home deliveries, and supplementing care given by ANC clinics, a proposed system based on low-cost mobile phones and portable ultrasound scan machines was piloted. A sample of 323 pregnant women from four rural communities in the Central Region of Ghana were followed within a 11-month project. In each community, at least one health worker was trained and equipped with a mobile phone to promote ANC and hospital deliveries in her own community. If women cannot attend ANC, technicians acquired scans by using portable ultrasound machines in her community directly and sent them almost in real time to be analyzed by a gynecologist in an urban hospital. A preliminary survey to assess ANC status preceding the pilot study was conducted. During this, one hundred women who had had pregnancies within five years prior to the study were interviewed. The preliminary survey showed that women who attended ANC were less likely to have a miscarriage and more likely to have delivery at hospital or clinic than those who did not, and women who attained at least four ANC visits were less likely to practice self-medication. Among the women involved in the project, 40 gave birth during the period of observation. The proposed prenatal care approach showed that 62.5 % of pregnant women who gave birth during the observation period included in the project (n=40) had their labor attended in clinics or hospitals as against 37.5 % among the cases reported in the pre-survey. One case of ectopic and two cases of breech pregnancies were detected during the pilot through the proposed approach, and appropriate medical interventions were sought. Our results show that the proposed

  11. Self-Contained Portable Data Acquisition/Control System Unit for Hydrogen Environments

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The platform is designed to be a self-contained unit that is built to support a wide variety of electrical equipment, and constructed so that it can be safely...

  12. Mobile Phones: The Next Step towards Healthcare Delivery in Rural India?

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeSouza, Sherwin I.; Rashmi, M. R.; Vasanthi, Agalya P.; Joseph, Suchitha Maria; Rodrigues, Rashmi

    2014-01-01

    Background Given the ubiquity of mobile phones, their use to support healthcare in the Indian context is inevitable. It is however necessary to assess end-user perceptions regarding mobile health interventions especially in the rural Indian context prior to its use in healthcare. This would contextualize the use of mobile phone communication for health to 70% of the country's population that resides in rural India. Objectives To explore the acceptability of delivering healthcare interventions through mobile phones among users in a village in rural Bangalore. Methods This was an exploratory study of 488 mobile phone users, residing in a village, near Bangalore city, Karnataka, South India. A pretested, translated, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to obtain data on mobile phone usage patterns and acceptability of the mobile phone, as a tool for health-related communication. The data is described using basic statistical measures. Results The primary use of mobile phones was to make or receive phone calls (100%). Text messaging (SMS) was used by only 70 (14%) of the respondents. Most of the respondents, 484 (99%), were willing to receive health-related information on their mobile phones and did not consider receiving such information, an intrusion into their personal life. While receiving reminders for drug adherence was acceptable to most 479 (98%) of our respondents, 424 (89%) preferred voice calls alone to other forms of communication. Nearly all were willing to use their mobile phones to communicate with health personnel in emergencies and 367 (75%) were willing to consult a doctor via the phone in an acute illness. Factors such as sex, English literacy, employment status, and presence of chronic disease affected preferences regarding mode and content of communication. Conclusion The mobile phone, as a tool for receiving health information and supporting healthcare through mHealth interventions was acceptable in the rural Indian context. PMID

  13. Mobile phones: the next step towards healthcare delivery in rural India?

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeSouza, Sherwin I; Rashmi, M R; Vasanthi, Agalya P; Joseph, Suchitha Maria; Rodrigues, Rashmi

    2014-01-01

    Given the ubiquity of mobile phones, their use to support healthcare in the Indian context is inevitable. It is however necessary to assess end-user perceptions regarding mobile health interventions especially in the rural Indian context prior to its use in healthcare. This would contextualize the use of mobile phone communication for health to 70% of the country's population that resides in rural India. To explore the acceptability of delivering healthcare interventions through mobile phones among users in a village in rural Bangalore. This was an exploratory study of 488 mobile phone users, residing in a village, near Bangalore city, Karnataka, South India. A pretested, translated, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to obtain data on mobile phone usage patterns and acceptability of the mobile phone, as a tool for health-related communication. The data is described using basic statistical measures. The primary use of mobile phones was to make or receive phone calls (100%). Text messaging (SMS) was used by only 70 (14%) of the respondents. Most of the respondents, 484 (99%), were willing to receive health-related information on their mobile phones and did not consider receiving such information, an intrusion into their personal life. While receiving reminders for drug adherence was acceptable to most 479 (98%) of our respondents, 424 (89%) preferred voice calls alone to other forms of communication. Nearly all were willing to use their mobile phones to communicate with health personnel in emergencies and 367 (75%) were willing to consult a doctor via the phone in an acute illness. Factors such as sex, English literacy, employment status, and presence of chronic disease affected preferences regarding mode and content of communication. The mobile phone, as a tool for receiving health information and supporting healthcare through mHealth interventions was acceptable in the rural Indian context.

  14. Mobile phones: the next step towards healthcare delivery in rural India?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sherwin I DeSouza

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Given the ubiquity of mobile phones, their use to support healthcare in the Indian context is inevitable. It is however necessary to assess end-user perceptions regarding mobile health interventions especially in the rural Indian context prior to its use in healthcare. This would contextualize the use of mobile phone communication for health to 70% of the country's population that resides in rural India. OBJECTIVES: To explore the acceptability of delivering healthcare interventions through mobile phones among users in a village in rural Bangalore. METHODS: This was an exploratory study of 488 mobile phone users, residing in a village, near Bangalore city, Karnataka, South India. A pretested, translated, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to obtain data on mobile phone usage patterns and acceptability of the mobile phone, as a tool for health-related communication. The data is described using basic statistical measures. RESULTS: The primary use of mobile phones was to make or receive phone calls (100%. Text messaging (SMS was used by only 70 (14% of the respondents. Most of the respondents, 484 (99%, were willing to receive health-related information on their mobile phones and did not consider receiving such information, an intrusion into their personal life. While receiving reminders for drug adherence was acceptable to most 479 (98% of our respondents, 424 (89% preferred voice calls alone to other forms of communication. Nearly all were willing to use their mobile phones to communicate with health personnel in emergencies and 367 (75% were willing to consult a doctor via the phone in an acute illness. Factors such as sex, English literacy, employment status, and presence of chronic disease affected preferences regarding mode and content of communication. CONCLUSION: The mobile phone, as a tool for receiving health information and supporting healthcare through mHealth interventions was acceptable in the rural Indian

  15. MEMO--a mobile phone depression prevention intervention for adolescents: development process and postprogram findings on acceptability from a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whittaker, Robyn; Merry, Sally; Stasiak, Karolina; McDowell, Heather; Doherty, Iain; Shepherd, Matthew; Dorey, Enid; Parag, Varsha; Ameratunga, Shanthi; Rodgers, Anthony

    2012-01-24

    Prevention of the onset of depression in adolescence may prevent social dysfunction, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, suicide, and mental health conditions in adulthood. New technologies allow delivery of prevention programs scalable to large and disparate populations. To develop and test the novel mobile phone delivery of a depression prevention intervention for adolescents. We describe the development of the intervention and the results of participants' self-reported satisfaction with the intervention. The intervention was developed from 15 key messages derived from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The program was fully automated and delivered in 2 mobile phone messages/day for 9 weeks, with a mixture of text, video, and cartoon messages and a mobile website. Delivery modalities were guided by social cognitive theory and marketing principles. The intervention was compared with an attention control program of the same number and types of messages on different topics. A double-blind randomized controlled trial was undertaken in high schools in Auckland, New Zealand, from June 2009 to April 2011. A total of 1348 students (13-17 years of age) volunteered to participate at group sessions in schools, and 855 were eventually randomly assigned to groups. Of these, 835 (97.7%) self-completed follow-up questionnaires at postprogram interviews on satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and adherence to the intervention. Over three-quarters of participants viewed at least half of the messages and 90.7% (379/418) in the intervention group reported they would refer the program to a friend. Intervention group participants said the intervention helped them to be more positive (279/418, 66.7%) and to get rid of negative thoughts (210/418, 50.2%)--significantly higher than proportions in the control group. Key messages from CBT can be delivered by mobile phone, and young people report that these are helpful. Change in clinician-rated depression symptom scores from baseline to 12

  16. Mobile technology: streamlining practice and improving care

    OpenAIRE

    Blake, Holly

    2013-01-01

    The use of mobile phones in care delivery has the potential to improve the way in which care is delivered. When implemented effectively, mobile technologies can empower patients and enhance communication between patients and their health-care providers. When barriers are recognised and addressed, mobile technologies can change working lives, facilitating rapid access to information and supporting efficiency in practice.

  17. The impact of early powered mobility on parental stress, negative emotions, and family social interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tefft, Donita; Guerette, Paula; Furumasu, Jan

    2011-02-01

    Powered mobility has been found to have positive effects on young children with severe physical disabilities, but the impact on the family has been less well documented. We evaluated the impact of early powered mobility on parental stress, negative emotions, perceived social interactions, and parental satisfaction with wheelchair characteristics such as size and durability. The participants were parents of 23 children with disabilities-10 with orthopedic disabilities (average age 30.1 months) and 13 with cerebral palsy (average age 47.0 months). Pretest assessments were completed two times: at initial wheelchair evaluation and at wheelchair delivery. A posttest assessment was completed after each child had used the wheelchair for 4-6 months. Parents reported a lower perceived level of stress at the time of wheelchair delivery, although the magnitude of this effect was fairly small, standardized mean difference (δ) = .27. They also reported an increased satisfaction with their child's social and play skills (δ = .38), ability to go where desired (δ = .86), sleep/wake pattern (δ = .61), and belief that the general public accepts their child (δ = .39) after several months using the wheelchair. Parents reported an increase in interactions within the family at the time of wheelchair delivery (δ = .66). There was no decrease in negative emotions. Parents were satisfied with most factors relating to the wheelchair itself, with areas of concern being wheelchair size and difficulty adjusting the wheelchair. The findings suggest that self-initiated powered mobility for a young child had a positive impact on the family.

  18. Authoring Tool for Identifying Learning Styles, Using Self-Organizing Maps on Mobile Devices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramón Zatarain Cabada

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available This work explores a methodological proposal whose main objective is the identification of learning styles using a method of self-organizing maps designed to work, for the most part, on mobile devices. These maps can work in real time and without direct student interaction, which implies the absence of prior information. The results generated are an authoring tool for adaptive courses in Web 2.0 environments.

  19. A Mixed-Method Study of Mobile Devices and Student Self-Directed Learning and Achievement during a Middle School STEM Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartholomew, Scott

    2016-01-01

    With the increasingly ubiquitous nature of mobile devices among K-12 students, many argue for and against the inclusion of these devices in K-12 classrooms. Arguments in favor cite instant access to information and collaboration with others as positive affordances made possible through mobile devices. Self-directed learning, a process where…

  20. Long-term engagement with a mobile self-management system for people with type 2 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tatara, Naoe; Arsand, Eirik; Skrøvseth, Stein Olav; Hartvigsen, Gunnar

    2013-03-27

    In a growing number of intervention studies, mobile phones are used to support self-management of people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, it is difficult to establish knowledge about factors associated with intervention effects, due to considerable differences in research designs and outcome measures as well as a lack of detailed information about participants' engagement with the intervention tool. To contribute toward accumulating knowledge about factors associated with usage and usability of a mobile self-management application over time through a thorough analysis of multiple types of investigation on each participant's engagement. The Few Touch application is a mobile-phone-based self-management tool for patients with T2DM. Twelve patients with T2DM who have been actively involved in the system design used the Few Touch application in a real-life setting from September 2008 until October 2009. During this period, questionnaires and semistructured interviews were conducted. Recorded data were analyzed to investigate usage trends and patterns. Transcripts from interviews were thematically analyzed, and the results were further analyzed in relation to the questionnaire answers and the usage trends and patterns. The Few Touch application served as a flexible learning tool for the participants, responsive to their spontaneous needs, as well as supporting regular self-monitoring. A significantly decreasing (Pmanual entry; intuitive and informative feedback; and rich learning materials, especially about foods. Many grounded design implications were identified through a thorough analysis of results from multiple types of investigations obtained through a year-long field trial of the Few Touch application. The study showed the importance and value of involving patient-users in a long-term trial of a tool to identify factors influencing usage and usability over time. In addition, the study confirmed the importance of detailed analyses of each participant

  1. Mobile health clinics in the era of reform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Caterina F; Powers, Brian W; Jain, Sachin H; Bennet, Jennifer; Vavasis, Anthony; Oriol, Nancy E

    2014-03-01

    Despite the role of mobile clinics in delivering care to the full spectrum of at-risk populations, the collective impact of mobile clinics has never been assessed. This study characterizes the scope of the mobile clinic sector and its impact on access, costs, and quality. It explores the role of mobile clinics in the era of delivery reform and expanded insurance coverage. A synthesis of observational data collected through Mobile Health Map and published literature related to mobile clinics. Analysis of data from the Mobile Health Map Project, an online platform that aggregates data on mobile health clinics in the United States, supplemented by a comprehensive literature review. Mobile clinics represent an integral component of the healthcare system that serves vulnerable populations and promotes high-quality care at low cost. There are an estimated 1500 mobile clinics receiving 5 million visits nationwide per year. Mobile clinics improve access for vulnerable populations, bolster prevention and chronic disease management, and reduce costs. Expanded coverage and delivery reform increase opportunities for mobile clinics to partner with hospitals, health systems, and insurers to improve care and lower costs. Mobile clinics have a critical role to play in providing high-quality, low-cost care to vulnerable populations. The postreform environment, with increasing accountability for population health management and expanded access among historically underserved populations, should strengthen the ability for mobile clinics to partner with hospitals, health systems, and payers to improve care and lower costs.

  2. A Self-Directed Mobile Intervention (WaznApp) to Promote Weight Control Among Employees at a Lebanese University: Protocol for a Feasibility Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bardus, Marco; Hamadeh, Ghassan; Hayek, Bouchra; Al Kherfan, Rawan

    2018-05-16

    Overweight and obesity have become major health problems globally with more than 1.9 billion overweight adults. In Lebanon, the prevalence of obesity and overweight is 65.4% combined. Risk factors of obesity and overweight are preventable and can be addressed by modifications in the environment and in an individual's lifestyle. Mobile technologies are increasingly used in behavioral, self-directed weight management interventions, providing users with additional opportunities to attain weight control (weight loss, weight gain prevention, etc). Mobile apps may allow for the delivery of Just-in-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs), which provide support through skill building, emotional support, and instrumental support, following the participants' progress. A few commercially available apps offer JITAI features, but no studies have tested their efficacy. The primary objective of this study is to examine the feasibility of a self-directed weight loss intervention, targeting employees of an academic institution, using a virtual coaching app with JITAI features (Lark) and a self-help calorie-counting app (MyFitnessPal). The secondary objective is to estimate the effects of the intervention on main study outcomes. This study is a single-center, parallel, randomized controlled trial with 2 study arms (intervention and control). Participants will be randomly allocated in equal proportions to the intervention (Lark) and control groups (MyFitnessPal). To be eligible for this study, participants must be employed full- or part-time at the university or its medical center, able to read English, have a smartphone, and be interested in controlling their weight. Recruitment strategies entail email invitations, printed posters, and social media postings. We will assess quantitative rates of recruitment, adherence, and retention, self-reported app quality using the user version of the Mobile App Rating Scale. We will also assess changes in weight-related outcomes (absolute weight

  3. Combination of SEDDS and Preactivated Thiomer Technology: Incorporation of a Preactivated Thiolated Amphiphilic Polymer into Self-Emulsifying Delivery Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hetényi, Gergely; Griesser, Janine; Nardin, Isabelle; Bernkop-Schnürch, Andreas

    2017-06-01

    The aim of the study was to create novel mucoadhesive drug delivery systems by incorporating amphiphilic hydrophobically modified, thiolated and preactivated polymers (preactivated thiomers) into self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS). L-Cysteine methyl ester was covalently attached to the polymeric backbone of Pemulen TR-2 and preactivated using 2-mercaptonicotinic acid (2-MNA). These thiomers were incorporated in a concentration of 0.3% (w/v) into SEDDS. The size distribution and the zeta potential of the emulsions were evaluated by dynamic light scattering. Mucoadhesive properties of thiomers-SEDDS spiked with FDA (fluorescein diacetate) were examined utilizing rheological measurement, permeation studies and in vitro residence time study on porcine mucosa. Cell viability tests were additionally performed. 734 ± 58 μmol L-Cysteine methyl ester and 562 ± 71 μmol 2-MNA could be attached per gram polymer of Pemulen TR-2. Emulsions exhibited a droplet size range between 180 and 270 nm. Blank SEDDS possessed a zeta potential value between -5.7 and -8.6 mV, whereas thiomers-SEDDS between -14.6 and -17.2 mV. Viscous modulus of thiomer and preactivated thiomer containing SEDDS-mucus mixture was 8-fold and 11-fold increased in comparison to reference. The amount of FDA permeated the mucus layer was 2-fold lower in case of thiomers-SEDDS compared to blank SEDDS. A prolonged residence time was observed for thiomers-SEDDS over 45 min. During cell viability studies no severe toxic effects were detected. The novel developed SEDDS with incorporated thiomers might be a promising tool for mucoadhesive oral drug delivery.

  4. Enzyme sensitive smart inulin-dehydropeptide conjugate self-assembles into nanostructures useful for targeted delivery of ornidazole.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shivhare, Kriti; Garg, Charu; Priyam, Ayushi; Gupta, Alka; Sharma, Ashwani Kumar; Kumar, Pradeep

    2018-01-01

    Molecular self-assembly of biodegradable amphiphilic polymers allows rational design of biocompatible nanomaterials for drug delivery. Use of substituted polysaccharides for such applications offers the ease of design and synthesis, and provides higher biofunctionality and biocompatibility to nanomaterials. The present work focuses on the synthesis, characterization and potential biomedical applications of self-assembled polysaccharide-based materials. We demonstrated that the synthesized amphiphilic inulin self-assembled in aqueous medium into nanostructures with average size in the range of 146-486nm and encapsulated hydrophobic therapeutic molecule, ornidazole. Hydrophophic dehydropeptide was conjugated with inulin via a biocompatible ester linkage. Dehydrophenylalanine, an unusual amino acid, was incorporated in the peptide to make it stable at a broader range of pH as well as against proteases. The resulting core-shell type of nanostructures could encapsulate ornidazole in the hydrophobic core and released it in a controlled fashion. By taking the advantage of inulin, which gets degraded in the colon by colonic bacteria, the effect of enzyme, inulinase, present in the microflora of the large intestine, on inulin-peptide degradation followed by drug release has been studied. Altogether, small peptide conjugated to inulin offers novel scaffold for the future design of nanostructures with potential applications in the field of targeted drug delivery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Self-assembled silk sericin/poloxamer nanoparticles as nanocarriers of hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs for targeted delivery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mandal, Biman B; Kundu, S C

    2009-01-01

    In recent times self-assembled micellar nanoparticles have been successfully employed in tissue engineering for targeted drug delivery applications. In this review, silk sericin protein from non-mulberry Antheraea mylitta tropical tasar silk cocoons was blended with pluronic F-127 and F-87 in the presence of solvents to achieve self-assembled micellar nanostructures capable of carrying both hydrophilic (FITC-inulin) and hydrophobic (anticancer drug paclitaxel) drugs. The fabricated nanoparticles were subsequently characterized for their size distribution, drug loading capability, cellular uptake and cytotoxicity. Nanoparticle sizes ranged between 100 and 110 nm in diameter as confirmed by dynamic light scattering. Rapid uptake of these particles into cells was observed in in vitro cellular uptake studies using breast cancer MCF-7 cells. In vitro cytotoxicity assay using paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles against breast cancer cells showed promising results comparable to free paclitaxel drugs. Drug-encapsulated nanoparticle-induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells was confirmed by FACS and confocal microscopic studies using Annexin V staining. Up-regulation of pro-apoptotic protein Bax, down-regulation of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and cleavage of regulatory protein PARP through Western blot analysis suggested further drug-induced apoptosis in cells. This study projects silk sericin protein as an alternative natural biomaterial for fabrication of self-assembled nanoparticles in the presence of poloxamer for successful delivery of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs to target sites.

  6. Self-assembled silk sericin/poloxamer nanoparticles as nanocarriers of hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs for targeted delivery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mandal, Biman B; Kundu, S C, E-mail: kundu@hijli.iitkgp.ernet.i [Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302 (India)

    2009-09-02

    In recent times self-assembled micellar nanoparticles have been successfully employed in tissue engineering for targeted drug delivery applications. In this review, silk sericin protein from non-mulberry Antheraea mylitta tropical tasar silk cocoons was blended with pluronic F-127 and F-87 in the presence of solvents to achieve self-assembled micellar nanostructures capable of carrying both hydrophilic (FITC-inulin) and hydrophobic (anticancer drug paclitaxel) drugs. The fabricated nanoparticles were subsequently characterized for their size distribution, drug loading capability, cellular uptake and cytotoxicity. Nanoparticle sizes ranged between 100 and 110 nm in diameter as confirmed by dynamic light scattering. Rapid uptake of these particles into cells was observed in in vitro cellular uptake studies using breast cancer MCF-7 cells. In vitro cytotoxicity assay using paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles against breast cancer cells showed promising results comparable to free paclitaxel drugs. Drug-encapsulated nanoparticle-induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells was confirmed by FACS and confocal microscopic studies using Annexin V staining. Up-regulation of pro-apoptotic protein Bax, down-regulation of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and cleavage of regulatory protein PARP through Western blot analysis suggested further drug-induced apoptosis in cells. This study projects silk sericin protein as an alternative natural biomaterial for fabrication of self-assembled nanoparticles in the presence of poloxamer for successful delivery of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs to target sites.

  7. The regulation of mobile health applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barton Amy J

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract In July 2011, the United States Food and Drug Administration issued draft guidance concerning the regulation of mobile medical applications (applications on a wireless device that are used as accessories to medical devices or to convert a mobile platform to a medical device. While the suggestion of regulation is rooted in patient safety, concerns about limits on innovation and discovery as well as the evolving nature of both mobile health and current healthcare delivery have emerged. This article discusses the prevalence of mobile health, the context of regulation concerning mobile medical applications, and implications for the future.

  8. The Relationship Between Individual Characteristics and Interest in Using a Mobile Phone App for HIV Self-Management: Observational Cohort Study of People Living With HIV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lucero, Robert James; Frimpong, Jemima A; Fehlberg, Elizabeth A; Bjarnadottir, Ragnhildur I; Weaver, Michael T; Cook, Christa; Modave, Francois; Rathore, Mobeen H; Morano, Jamie P; Ibanez, Gladys; Cook, Robert L

    2017-07-27

    The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to be a major health issue in the United States, and an estimated 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV. As part of Healthy People 2020, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has targeted the persistent demographic and geographic disparities in HIV prevalence and management. Preliminary evidence suggests that mobile health technology (smartphone apps) may be a promising way to support HIV self-management among vulnerable populations of people living with HIV (PLWH) who lack access to appropriate health care services. This study examines the association between individual characteristics of PLWH and level of interest in using a free mobile phone app for HIV self-management. This study was conducted using cross-sectional survey data collected in the Florida Cohort Study between 2014 and 2016 (N=766). Associations between individual characteristics of PLWH and level of interest in using a free mobile phone app for HIV self-management were examined using bivariate analysis and logistic regression. Overall, 85.5% (655/766) of respondents were interested in using a free mobile phone app that supports HIV self-management. Participants expressed the highest interest in app functions that facilitate communication with health care providers (568/740, 76.8%) or help to identify relevant health care services (556/745 74.6%). Age (OR 0.959, 95% CI 0.936-0.982), education (OR 1.281, 95% CI 1.027-1.598) and disability or inability to work (OR 0.296, 95% CI 0.145-0.606) were all significantly associated with being interested in using a free mobile phone app for HIV self-management. This study indicates that a majority of PLWH are interested in using a free mobile phone app to self-manage their condition. The findings can inform the development of mobile phone apps that support effective HIV self-management. ©Robert James Lucero, Jemima A Frimpong, Elizabeth A Fehlberg, Ragnhildur I Bjarnadottir

  9. Improved oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble indirubin by a supersaturatable self-microemulsifying drug delivery system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen ZQ

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Zhi-Qiang Chen, Ying Liu, Ji-Hui Zhao, Lan Wang, Nian-Ping FengSchool of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of ChinaBackground: Indirubin, isolated from the leaves of the Chinese herb Isatis tinctoria L, is a protein kinase inhibitor and promising antitumor agent. However, the poor water solubility of indirubin has limited its application. In this study, a supersaturatable self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (S-SMEDDS was developed to improve the oral bioavailability of indirubin.Methods: A prototype S-SMEDDS was designed using solubility studies and phase diagram construction. Precipitation inhibitors were selected from hydrophilic polymers according to their crystallization-inhibiting capacity through in vitro precipitation tests. In vitro release of indirubin from S-SMEDDS was examined to investigate its likely release behavior in vivo. The in vivo bioavailability of indirubin from S-SMEDDS and from SMEDDS was compared in rats.Results: The prototype formulation of S-SMEDDS comprised Maisine™ 35-1:Cremophor® EL:Transcutol® P (15:40:45, w/w/w. Polyvinylpyrrolidone K17, a hydrophilic polymer, was used as a precipitation inhibitor based on its better crystallization-inhibiting capacity compared with polyethylene glycol 4000 and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. In vitro release analysis showed more rapid drug release from S-SMEDDS than from SMEDDS. In vivo bioavailability analysis in rats indicated that improved oral absorption was achieved and that the relative bioavailability of S-SMEDDS was 129.5% compared with SMEDDS.Conclusion: The novel S-SMEDDS developed in this study increased the dissolution rate and improved the oral bioavailability of indirubin in rats. The results suggest that S-SMEDDS is a superior means of oral delivery of indirubin.Keywords: supersaturatable self-microemulsifying drug delivery system, indirubin, bioavailability, oral drug delivery, hydrophilic polymer

  10. The enhanced inhibitory effect of different antitumor agents in self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems on human cervical cancer HeLa cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ujhelyi, Zoltán; Kalantari, Azin; Vecsernyés, Miklós; Róka, Eszter; Fenyvesi, Ferenc; Póka, Róbert; Kozma, Bence; Bácskay, Ildikó

    2015-07-21

    The aim of this study was to develop topical self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) containing antitumor agents (bleomycin, cisplatin and ifosfamide) and to investigate their inhibitory potential in SMEDDS on human cervical cancer HeLa cells. The physicochemical properties of cytostatic drug loaded SMEDDS were characterized. The cytotoxicity of main components of SMEDDS was also investigated. Their IC50 values were determined. HeLa cells were treated by different concentrations of cisplatin, bleomycin and ifosfamide alone and in various SMEDDS. The inhibitory effect on cell growth was analyzed by MTT cell viability assay. Inflammation is a driving force that accelerates cancer development. The inhibitory effect of these antitumor agents has also been tested on HeLa cells in the presence of inflammatory mediators (IL-1-β, TNF-α) as an in vitro model of inflamed human cervix. Significant differences in the cytotoxicity of cytostatic drugs alone and in SMEDDS have been found in a concentration-dependent manner. The self-micro emulsifying system may potentiate the effectiveness of bleomycin, cisplatin and ifosfamide topically. The effect of SMEDDS containing antitumor agents was decreased significantly in the presence of inflammatory mediators. According to our experiments, the optimal SMEDDS formulation is 1:1:2:6:2 ratios of Isopropyl myristate, Capryol 90, Kolliphor RH 40, Cremophor RH40, Transcutol HP and Labrasol. It can be concluded that SMEDDS may increase the inhibitory effect of bleomycin, ifosfamide and cisplatin on human cervical cancer HeLa cells. Inflammation on HeLa cells hinders the effectiveness of SMEDDS containing antitumor agents. Our results might ensure useful data for development of optimal antitumor formulations.

  11. Self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems ameliorate the oral delivery of silymarin in rats with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen CH

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Chun-Han Chen,1,2 Cheng-Chih Chang,1 Tsung-Hsien Shih,2 Ibrahim A Aljuffali,3 Ta-Sen Yeh,4,5 Jia-You Fang6–8 1Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi, 2Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan; 3Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 5School of Medicine, College of Medicine, 6Pharmaceutics Laboratory, Graduate Institute of Natural Products, 7Chinese Herbal Medicine Research Team, Healthy Aging Research Center, Chang Gung University, 8Research Center for Industry of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan Abstract: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB is a popular surgery to reduce the body weight of obese patients. Although food intake is restricted by RYGB, drug absorption is also decreased. The purpose of this study was to develop novel self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS for enhancing the oral delivery of silymarin, which has poor water solubility. The SNEDDS were characterized by size, zeta potential, droplet number, and morphology. A technique of RYGB was performed in Sprague-Dawley rats. SNEDDS were administered at a silymarin dose of 600 mg/kg in normal and RYGB rats for comparison with silymarin aqueous suspension and polyethylene glycol (PEG 400 solution. Plasma silibinin, the main active ingredient in silymarin, was chosen for estimating the pharmacokinetic parameters. SNEDDS diluted in simulated gastric fluid exhibited a droplet size of 190 nm with a spherical shape. The nanocarriers promoted silibinin availability via oral ingestion in RYGB rats by 2.5-fold and 1.5-fold compared to the suspension and PEG 400 solution, respectively. A significant double-peak concentration of silibinin was detected for RYGB rats receiving SNEDDS. Fluorescence

  12. Policy 2.0 Platform for Mobile Sensing and Incentivized Targeted Shifts in Mobility Behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Semanjski, Ivana; Lopez Aguirre, Angel Javier; De Mol, Johan; Gautama, Sidharta

    2016-07-05

    Sustainable mobility and smart mobility management play important roles in achieving smart cities' goals. In this context we investigate the role of smartphones as mobility behavior sensors and evaluate the responsivity of different attitudinal profiles towards personalized route suggestion incentives delivered via mobile phones. The empirical results are based on mobile sensed data collected from more than 3400 people's real life over a period of six months. The findings show which user profiles are most likely to accept such incentives and how likely they are to result in more sustainable mode choices. In addition we provide insights into tendencies towards accepting more sustainable route options for different trip purposes and illustrate smart city platform potential (for collection of mobility behavior data and delivery of incentives) as a tool for development of personalized mobility management campaigns and policies.

  13. Policy 2.0 Platform for Mobile Sensing and Incentivized Targeted Shifts in Mobility Behavior

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ivana Semanjski

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Sustainable mobility and smart mobility management play important roles in achieving smart cities’ goals. In this context we investigate the role of smartphones as mobility behavior sensors and evaluate the responsivity of different attitudinal profiles towards personalized route suggestion incentives delivered via mobile phones. The empirical results are based on mobile sensed data collected from more than 3400 people’s real life over a period of six months. The findings show which user profiles are most likely to accept such incentives and how likely they are to result in more sustainable mode choices. In addition we provide insights into tendencies towards accepting more sustainable route options for different trip purposes and illustrate smart city platform potential (for collection of mobility behavior data and delivery of incentives as a tool for development of personalized mobility management campaigns and policies.

  14. North Slope mobile technology and its application to spill response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mabile, N.J.; Helinski, R.

    1992-01-01

    At ARCO Alaska's Prudhoe Bay operation, improved preparedness for oil spill response has been achieved by applying mobile technology according to an innovative concept. To ensure safe and efficient deployment of resources during a spill response, a rapid deployment equipment delivery system was developed. This multi-functional, modularized system was based on a previously developed chemical delivery system consisting of a primary transport truck equipped with a Dempsey Dumpster Dinosaur skid. This same modularized concept was used for spill response with the substitution of function-specific spill response vans in place of chemical transport tanks. Within this concept, skid-mounted mission-specific vans are rapidly deployed to multiple sites in a fire brigade type of response. Skid-mounted units include land and water containment, recovery, boom deployment, command center, generator skid, restroom facility, and skimmer units. 4 figs

  15. Liquid crystalline systems containing Vitamin E TPGS for the controlled transdermal nicotine delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lívia Neves Borgheti-Cardoso

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Transdermal nicotine patches have been used in smoking cessation therapy, suggested for the treatment of skin disorders with eosinophilic infiltration and have been found to improve attention performance in patients with Alzheimer's disease and age-associated memory impairment. However, skin irritation with extended patch use is still a problem. The aim of this work was to develop a simple to prepare liquid crystalline system containing vitamin E TPGS that would be able to control nicotine delivery and reduce irritation and sensitization problems. The liquid crystalline phases were macroscopically characterized by visual analysis and examined microscopically under a polarized light microscope. Topical and transdermal delivery of nicotine were investigated in vitro using porcine ear skin mounted on a Franz diffusion cell. Nicotine skin permeation from the developed cubic phase followed zero-order kinetics (r = 0.993 and was significantly enhanced after 12 h when compared to the control formulation (nicotine solution (p < 0.05 (138.86 ± 20.44 and 64.91 ± 4.06 μg/cm2, respectively. Cubic phase was also able to target viable skin layers in comparison to control solution (8.18 ± 1.89 and 2.63 ± 2.51 μg/cm2, respectively. Further studies to evaluate skin sensitization and irritation are now necessary.

  16. Sterile Product Packaging and Delivery Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akers, Michael J

    2015-01-01

    Both conventional and more advanced product container and delivery systems are the focus of this brief article. Six different product container systems will be discussed, plus advances in primary packaging for special delivery systems and needle technology.

  17. An Effective Approach for Mobile ad hoc Network via I-Watchdog Protocol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nidhi Lal

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Mobile ad hoc network (MANET is now days become very famous due to their fixed infrastructure-less quality and dynamic nature. They contain a large number of nodes which are connected and communicated to each other in wireless nature. Mobile ad hoc network is a wireless technology that contains high mobility of nodes and does not depend on the background administrator for central authority, because they do not contain any infrastructure. Nodes of the MANET use radio wave for communication and having limited resources and limited computational power. The Topology of this network is changing very frequently because they are distributed in nature and self-configurable. Due to its wireless nature and lack of any central authority in the background, Mobile ad hoc networks are always vulnerable to some security issues and performance issues. The security imposes a huge impact on the performance of any network. Some of the security issues are black hole attack, flooding, wormhole attack etc. In this paper, we will discuss issues regarding low performance of Watchdog protocol used in the MANET and proposed an improved Watchdog mechanism, which is called by I-Watchdog protocol that overcomes the limitations of Watchdog protocol and gives high performance in terms of throughput, delay.

  18. The Winfrith portable self-contained air samplers, type W.A.S. 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cavell, I.W.

    1961-11-01

    This memorandum describes a self-contained air sampler for collecting samples of airborne particulates on a standard 6 centimetre filter paper. Its construction, use and performance are discussed. (author)

  19. Staging Mobilities / Designing Mobilities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Ole B.

    2015-01-01

    , and systems 'hosting' these multiple and complex mobilities are designed and how they are staging these in terms of their physical layout. By analysing specific cases of ‘mobilities design’ related to the four modes of moving; Walk, Bike, Train, and Car, the book uncover important and until now neglected...... is more than movement between point A and B. It explores how the movement of people, goods, information, and signs influences human understandings of self, other and the built environment. Moving towards a new understanding of the relationship between movement, interaction and environments, the project...

  20. Mobile phone-based asthma self-management aid for adolescents (mASMAA: a feasibility study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rhee H

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Hyekyun Rhee,1 James Allen,2 Jennifer Mammen,1 Mary Swift21School of Nursing, 2Department of Computer Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USAPurpose: Adolescents report high asthma-related morbidity that can be prevented by adequate self-management of the disease. Therefore, there is a need for a developmentally appropriate strategy to promote effective asthma self-management. Mobile phone-based technology is portable, commonly accessible, and well received by adolescents. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a comprehensive mobile phone-based asthma self-management aid for adolescents (mASMAA that was designed to facilitate symptom monitoring, treatment adherence, and adolescent–parent partnership. The system used state-of-the-art natural language-understanding technology that allowed teens to use unconstrained English in their texts, and to self-initiate interactions with the system.Materials and methods: mASMAA was developed based on an existing natural dialogue system that supports broad coverage of everyday natural conversation in English. Fifteen adolescent–parent dyads participated in a 2-week trial that involved adolescents' daily scheduled and unscheduled interactions with mASMAA and parents responding to daily reports on adolescents' asthma condition automatically generated by mASMAA. Subsequently, four focus groups were conducted to systematically obtain user feedback on the system. Frequency data on the daily usage of mASMAA over the 2-week period were tabulated, and content analysis was conducted for focus group interview data.Results: Response rates for daily text messages were 81%–97% in adolescents. The average number of self-initiated messages to mASMAA was 19 per adolescent. Symptoms were the most common topic of teen-initiated messages. Participants concurred that use of mASMAA improved awareness of symptoms and triggers, promoted treatment adherence and

  1. Using mobile phones and short message service to deliver self-management interventions for chronic conditions: a meta-review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Katherine R; Lekhak, Nirmala; Kaewluang, Napatsawan

    2014-04-01

    The worldwide burden of chronic disease is widespread and growing. This shift from acute to chronic care requires rethinking how resources are invested in managing these conditions. One response has been to create programs and interventions that have the goal of helping patients better manage their own conditions. Over time, these self-management interventions and strategies have increasingly relied on various technologies for their implementation, with the newest technology being mobile phones and short message service (SMS). The objective of this meta-review was to evaluate the current evidence on the use of mobile phones and SMS to deliver self-management interventions for chronic conditions. A meta-review was conducted of the 11 systematic reviews (SRs) that were identified and retrieved after an extensive search of electronic databases covering the years 2000-2012. Relevant information was abstracted from each systematic review and a quality assessment carried out using the AMSTAR ("A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews") criteria. The number and types of included studies and total number of subjects varied significantly across the systematic reviews. Mobile phone text messaging was reported to significantly improve adherence to appointments and antiretroviral therapy, short-term smoking quit rates, and selected clinical and behavioral outcomes. AMSTAR scores ranged from 11 to 3, reflecting substantial variation in SR quality. Mobile phones and SMS show promise as a technology to deliver self-management interventions to improve outcomes of chronic care management. However, the quality of future studies and systematic reviews needs to be improved. There also are unresolved issues about the technology itself. © 2014 Sigma Theta Tau International.

  2. MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF SELF-EXCITED VIBRATION OF PIPES CONTAINING MOBILE BOILING FLUID CLOTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yevgeniy Tolbatov

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Numerical modeling dynamic behavior of a pipe containing inner nonhomogeneous flows of a boiling fluid has been carried out. The system vibrations at different values of the parameters of the flow nonhomogeneity and its velocity are observed. The possibility of forming stable and unstable flows depending on the character ofnonhomogeneity and the velocity of fluid clots has been found.

  3. Intervention Mapping Approach in the Design of an Interactive Mobile Health Application to Improve Self-care in Heart Failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Athilingam, Ponrathi; Clochesy, John M; Labrador, Miguel A

    2018-02-01

    Heart failure is a complex syndrome among older adults who may experience and interpret symptoms differently. These differences in symptom interpretation may influence decision-making in symptom management. A well-informed and motivated person may develop the knowledge and skills needed to successfully manage symptoms. Therefore, the patient-centered mobile health application HeartMapp was designed to engage patients with heart failure in self-care management by offering tailored alerts and feedback using mobile phones. The main objective of this article is to describe the six-step intervention mapping approach including (1) the initial needs assessment, (2) proximal program objective, (3) selection of theory-based methods, (4) the translation of objectives into an actual program plan for mobile health intervention, (5) adaptation and implementation plan, and (6) evaluation plan that assisted the team in the development of a conceptual framework and intervention program matrix during the development of HeartMapp. The HeartMapp intervention takes the information, motivation, and behavioral skills model as the theoretical underpinning, with "patient engagement" as the key mediator in achieving targeted and persistent self-care behavioral changes in patients with heart failure. The HeartMapp intervention is proposed to improve self-care management and long-term outcomes.

  4. Classification and Evaluation of Mobility Metrics for Mobility Model Movement Patterns in Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks

    OpenAIRE

    Santosh Kumar S C Sharma Bhupendra Suman

    2011-01-01

    A mobile ad hoc network is collection of self configuring and adaption of wireless link between communicating devices (mobile devices) to form an arbitrary topology and multihop wireless connectivity without the use of existing infrastructure. It requires efficient dynamic routing protocol to determine the routes subsequent to a set of rules that enables two or more devices to communicate with each others. This paper basically classifies and evaluates the mobility metrics into two categories-...

  5. Psychological predictors of problem mobile phone use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bianchi, Adriana; Phillips, James G

    2005-02-01

    Mobile phone use is banned or illegal under certain circumstances and in some jurisdictions. Nevertheless, some people still use their mobile phones despite recognized safety concerns, legislation, and informal bans. Drawing potential predictors from the addiction literature, this study sought to predict usage and, specifically, problematic mobile phone use from extraversion, self-esteem, neuroticism, gender, and age. To measure problem use, the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale was devised and validated as a reliable self-report instrument, against the Addiction Potential Scale and overall mobile phone usage levels. Problem use was a function of age, extraversion, and low self-esteem, but not neuroticism. As extraverts are more likely to take risks, and young drivers feature prominently in automobile accidents, this study supports community concerns about mobile phone use, and identifies groups that should be targeted in any intervention campaigns.

  6. The regulation of mobile health applications

    OpenAIRE

    Barton, Amy J

    2012-01-01

    Abstract In July 2011, the United States Food and Drug Administration issued draft guidance concerning the regulation of mobile medical applications (applications on a wireless device that are used as accessories to medical devices or to convert a mobile platform to a medical device). While the suggestion of regulation is rooted in patient safety, concerns about limits on innovation and discovery as well as the evolving nature of both mobile health and current healthcare delivery have emerged...

  7. Role of mobile phone technology in health education in Asian and African countries: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahu, Madhusmita; Grover, Ashoo; Joshi, Ashish

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this systematic review was to explore the role of mobile phone technologies in delivering health education programs in Asian and African countries. The search engine used was Pubmed during 2008-2011. Randomised controlled trials or controlled studies that improved health outcomes through delivery of health educational interventions using cell phone or text messaging were included in the review. Results showed studies from six Asian and African countries including Philippines, China, Kenya, South Korea, Taiwan and India. Mobile phone technology has shown to improve health outcomes for chronic disease conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. Additional conditions include obesity and cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidance. Other studies have shown improvement in self management of breast cancer and post-hospitalisation HIV and pharmaceutical care. Overall results of the present review showed that mobile phone technologies can be a possible solution to improve healthcare outcome.

  8. Validation of self-reported start year of mobile phone use in a Swedish case-control study on radiofrequency fields and acoustic neuroma risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pettersson, David; Bottai, Matteo; Mathiesen, Tiit; Prochazka, Michaela; Feychting, Maria

    2015-01-01

    The possible effect of radiofrequency exposure from mobile phones on tumor risk has been studied since the late 1990s. Yet, empirical information about recall of the start of mobile phone use among adult cases and controls has never been reported. Limited knowledge about recall errors hampers interpretations of the epidemiological evidence. We used network operator data to validate the self-reported start year of mobile phone use in a case-control study of mobile phone use and acoustic neuroma risk. The answers of 96 (29%) cases and 111 (22%) controls could be included in the validation. The larger proportion of cases reflects a more complete and detailed reporting of subscription history. Misclassification was substantial, with large random errors, small systematic errors, and no significant differences between cases and controls. The average difference between self-reported and operator start year was -0.62 (95% confidence interval: -1.42, 0.17) years for cases and -0.71 (-1.50, 0.07) years for controls, standard deviations were 3.92 and 4.17 years, respectively. Agreement between self-reported and operator-recorded data categorized into short, intermediate and long-term use was moderate (kappa statistic: 0.42). Should an association exist, dilution of risk estimates and distortion of exposure-response patterns for time since first mobile phone use could result from the large random errors in self-reported start year. Retrospective collection of operator data likely leads to a selection of "good reporters", with a higher proportion of cases. Thus, differential recall cannot be entirely excluded.

  9. Self-Reported Versus Performance-Based Assessments of a Simple Mobility Task Among Older Adults in the Emergency Department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roedersheimer, Kyle M; Pereira, Greg F; Jones, Christopher W; Braz, Valerie A; Mangipudi, Sowmya A; Platts-Mills, Timothy F

    2016-02-01

    Accurate information about the mobility of independently living older adults is essential in determining whether they may be safely discharged home from the emergency department (ED). We assess the accuracy of self-reported ability to complete a simple mobility task among older ED patients. This was a cross-sectional study of cognitively intact patients aged 65 years and older who were neither nursing home residents nor critically ill, conducted in 2 academic EDs. Consenting participants were asked whether they could get out of bed, walk 10 feet, turn around, and get back in bed without assistance, and if not, whether they could perform this task with a cane, walker, or assistance. Each participant was then asked to perform the task and was provided with a mobility device or assistance as needed. Of 272 patients who met eligibility criteria and answered the physical task question, 161 (59%) said they could do the task unassisted, 45 (17%) said they could do it with a cane or walker, 21 (8%) said they could do it with assistance, and 45 (17%) said they would be unable to do it even with assistance. Among those who said they could do the task either with or without assistance and who were subsequently willing to attempt the task (N=172), discrepancies between self-reported ability and actual performance were common. Of those who said they could perform the task without assistance, 12% required some assistance or were unable to complete the task. Of those who said they could perform the task with a cane or walker, 48% required either assistance or were unable to perform the task. Of those who said they could perform the task with assistance, 24% were unable to perform the task even with assistance. In this sample of older adults receiving care in the ED, the accuracy of their self-reported ability to perform a simple mobility task was poor, particularly for those who reported some need for assistance. For older adults being considered for discharge who report a need

  10. Internet Use and Access Among Pregnant Women via Computer and Mobile Phone: Implications for Delivery of Perinatal Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peragallo Urrutia, Rachel; Berger, Alexander A; Ivins, Amber A; Beckham, A Jenna; Thorp, John M; Nicholson, Wanda K

    2015-03-30

    compared to women 30 years of age or older. Of the participants, 82.0% (82/100) were fairly willing or very willing to participate in postpartum lifestyle intervention. Of the participants, 83.0% (83/100) were fairly willing or very willing to participate in an Internet intervention delivered via computer, while only 49.0% (49/100) were fairly willing or very willing to do so via mobile phone technology. Older women and women with children tended to be less likely to desire a mobile phone-based program. There is broad access and use of computer and mobile phone technology among southern US pregnant women with varied demographic characteristics. Pregnant women are willing to participate in Internet-supported perinatal interventions. Our findings can inform the development of computer- and mobile phone-based approaches for the delivery of clinical and educational interventions.

  11. The Effects of a Mobile Gamification App on Elementary Students' Spanish Achievement and Self-Efficacy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rachels, Jason R.; Rockinson-Szapkiw, Amanda J.

    2018-01-01

    A quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest, non-equivalent control group design was used to examine the effect of a mobile gamification application on third and fourth grade students' Spanish language achievement and student academic self-efficacy. In this study, the treatment group's Spanish language instruction was through the use of…

  12. Development and testing of a mobile application to support diabetes self-management for people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Mira; Hempler, Nana F

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Numerous mobile applications have been developed to support diabetes-self-management. However, the majority of these applications lack a theoretical foundation and the involvement of people with diabetes during development. The aim of this study was to develop and test a mobile applic...... and implementation of the mobile health app were crucial to creating value for users. More attention should be paid to the training of professionals who introduce health apps. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Danish Data Protection Agency: 2012-58-0004. Registered 6 February 2016....

  13. Foam - novel delivery technology for remediation of vadose zone environments - 59019

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jansik, Danielle; Wellman, Dawn M.; Mattigod, Shas V.; Zhong, Lirong; Zhang, Fred; Foote, Martin; Wu, Yuxin; Hubbard, Susan

    2012-01-01

    Deep vadose zone environments can be a primary source and pathway for contaminant migration to groundwater. These environments present unique characterization and remediation challenges that necessitate scrutiny and research. The thickness, depth, and intricacies of the deep vadose zone, combined with a lack of understanding of the key subsurface processes (e.g., biogeochemical and hydrologic) affecting contaminant migration, make it difficult to create validated conceptual and predictive models of subsurface flow dynamics and contaminant behavior across multiple scales. These factors also make it difficult to design and deploy sustainable remedial approaches and monitor long-term contaminant behavior after remedial actions. Functionally, methods for addressing contamination must remove and/or reduce transport of contaminants. This problem is particularly challenging in the arid western United States where the vadose zone is hundreds of feet thick, rendering transitional excavation methods exceedingly costly and ineffective. Delivery of remedial amendments is one of the most challenging and critical aspects for all remedy-based approaches. The conventional approach for delivery is through injection of aqueous remedial solutions. However, heterogeneous deep vadose zone environments present hydrologic and geochemical challenges that limit the effectiveness. Because the flow of solution infiltration is dominantly controlled by gravity and suction, injected liquid preferentially percolates through highly permeable pathways, by-passing low-permeability zones that frequently contain the majority of contamination. Moreover, the wetting front can readily mobilize and enhance contaminant transport to the underlying aquifer prior to stabilization. Development of innovative in-situ technologies may be the only means to meet remedial action objectives and long-term stewardship goals. Surfactants can be used to lower the liquid surface tension and create stabile foams, which

  14. Global Positioning System (GPS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis of mobile harvesting equipment and sediment delivery to streams during forest harvest operations on steep terrain: Experimental design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniel Bowker; Jeff Stringer; Chris Barton; Songlin Fei

    2011-01-01

    Sediment mobilized by forest harvest machine traffic contributes substantially to the degradation of headwater stream systems. This study monitored forest harvest machine traffic to analyze how it affects sediment delivery to stream channels. Harvest machines were outfitted with global positioning system (GPS) dataloggers, recording machine movements and working status...

  15. A study on Singaporean women's acceptance of using mobile phones to seek health information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Sherwin; Xue, Lishan; Yen, Ching Chiuan; Chang, Leanne; Chan, Hock Chuan; Tai, Bee Choo; Duh, Henry Been Lirn; Choolani, Mahesh

    2011-12-01

    This paper is an exploratory study that investigates Singaporean women's acceptance of using mobile phones to seek health information. A mobile web containing health topics was developed to track Singaporean women's actual use of their mobile phones to seek health information. A survey questionnaire measured variables hypothesized to predict Behavioural Intention. The survey responses were then matched to the data collected on actual use. Correlation analysis and hierarchical regression were used to analyze the data collected. Findings revealed that Perceived Usefulness and Self-efficacy positively predicted the intention to use mobile phones to seek health information. The study also confirmed the presence of an intention-behaviour gap among participants. The conversion of intention to actual behaviour hinges on technical concerns and design factors. Prior experiences with health information seeking reinforced women's evaluations of the usefulness of the mobile web application and helped them to feel more self-efficacious about using their mobile phones to seek health information. Using mobile phones to seek health information was found to be complementary to online health information seeking and can be regarded as an alternative source to the internet for seeking health information. This study contributes to the existing literature by applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in the context of mobile health information seeking, for which there has been a lack of studies, and demonstrated that the inclusion of additional variables can enhance TAM's predictive power. The empirical presence of an intention-behaviour gap calls for future research to investigate the reasons behind the gap. Finally, the findings from this study can serve as input to promote women's use of mobile phones for better self-management of health. 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Cost-Effective Location Management for Mobile Agents on the Internet

    OpenAIRE

    Chien-Sheng Chen; Jiing-Dong Hwang; Chyuan-Der Lu; Ting-Yuan Yeh

    2015-01-01

    Many mobile agent system-related services and applications require interacting with a mobile agent by passing messages. However, an agent’s mobility raises several challenges in delivering messages to a mobile agent accurately. Consisting of tracking and message delivery phases, most mobile agent location management schemes create or receive many update messages and interaction messages to ensure the effectiveness of the schemes. In addition to downgrading the overall performance of a mobile ...

  17. Vaccine vial stopper performance for fractional dose delivery of vaccines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jarrahian, Courtney; Myers, Daniel; Creelman, Ben; Saxon, Eugene; Zehrung, Darin

    2017-07-03

    Shortages of vaccines such as inactivated poliovirus and yellow fever vaccines have been addressed by administering reduced-or fractional-doses, as recommended by the World Health Organization Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, to expand population coverage in countries at risk. We evaluated 3 kinds of vaccine vial stoppers to assess their performance after increased piercing from repeated withdrawal of doses needed when using fractional doses (0.1 mL) from presentations intended for full-dose (0.5 mL) delivery. Self-sealing capacity and fragmentation of the stopper were assessed via modified versions of international standard protocols. All stoppers maintained self-sealing capacity after 100 punctures. The damage to stoppers measured as the fragmentation rate was within the target of ≤ 10% of punctures resulting in a fragment after as many as 50 punctures. We concluded that stopper failure is not likely to be a concern if existing vaccine vials containing up to 10 regular doses are used up to 50 times for fractional dose delivery.

  18. A self-consistent first-principle based approach to model carrier mobility in organic materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meded, Velimir; Friederich, Pascal; Symalla, Franz; Neumann, Tobias; Danilov, Denis; Wenzel, Wolfgang

    2015-01-01

    Transport through thin organic amorphous films, utilized in OLEDs and OPVs, has been a challenge to model by using ab-initio methods. Charge carrier mobility depends strongly on the disorder strength and reorganization energy, both of which are significantly affected by the details in environment of each molecule. Here we present a multi-scale approach to describe carrier mobility in which the materials morphology is generated using DEPOSIT, a Monte Carlo based atomistic simulation approach, or, alternatively by molecular dynamics calculations performed with GROMACS. From this morphology we extract the material specific hopping rates, as well as the on-site energies using a fully self-consistent embedding approach to compute the electronic structure parameters, which are then used in an analytic expression for the carrier mobility. We apply this strategy to compute the carrier mobility for a set of widely studied molecules and obtain good agreement between experiment and theory varying over several orders of magnitude in the mobility without any freely adjustable parameters. The work focuses on the quantum mechanical step of the multi-scale workflow, explains the concept along with the recently published workflow optimization, which combines density functional with semi-empirical tight binding approaches. This is followed by discussion on the analytic formula and its agreement with established percolation fits as well as kinetic Monte Carlo numerical approaches. Finally, we skatch an unified multi-disciplinary approach that integrates materials science simulation and high performance computing, developed within EU project MMM@HPC

  19. Evaluation of critical formulation parameters in design and differentiation of self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDSs) for oral delivery of aciclovir.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janković, Jovana; Djekic, Ljiljana; Dobričić, Vladimir; Primorac, Marija

    2016-01-30

    The study investigated the influence of formulation parameters for design of self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDSs) comprising oil (medium chain triglycerides) (10%), surfactant (Labrasol(®), polysorbate 20, or Kolliphor(®) RH40), cosurfactant (Plurol(®) Oleique CC 497) (q.s. ad 100%), and cosolvent (glycerol or macrogol 400) (20% or 30%), and evaluate their potential as carriers for oral delivery of a poorly permeable antivirotic aciclovir (acyclovir). The drug loading capacity of the prepared formulations ranged from 0.18-31.66 mg/ml. Among a total of 60 formulations, three formulations meet the limits for average droplet size (Z-ave) and polydispersity index (PdI) that have been set for SMEDDSs (Z-ave≤100nm, PdI<0.250) upon spontaneous dispersion in 0.1M HCl and phosphate buffer pH 7.2. SMEDDSs with the highest aciclovir loading capacity (24.06 mg/ml and 21.12 mg/ml) provided the in vitro drug release rates of 0.325 mg cm(-2)min(-1) and 0.323 mg cm(-2)min(-1), respectively, and significantly enhanced drug permeability in the parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA), in comparison with the pure drug substance. The results revealed that development of SMEDDSs with enhanced drug loading capacity and oral delivery potential, required optimization of hydrophilic ingredients, in terms of size of hydrophilic moiety of the surfactant, surfactant-to-cosurfactant mass ratio (Km), and log P of the cosolvent. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. 20 CFR 726.103 - Application for authority to self-insure; effect of regulations contained in this part.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... § 726.103 Application for authority to self-insure; effect of regulations contained in this part. As... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Application for authority to self-insure; effect of regulations contained in this part. 726.103 Section 726.103 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT...

  1. Research on JD e-commerce's delivery model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Zhiguo; Ma, Mengkun; Feng, Chaoying

    2017-03-01

    E-commerce enterprises represented by JD have made a great contribution to the economic growth and economic development of our country. Delivery, as an important part of logistics, has self-evident importance. By establishing efficient and perfect self-built logistics systems and building good cooperation models with third-party logistics enterprises, e-commerce enterprises have created their own logistics advantages. Characterized by multi-batch and small-batch, e-commerce is much more complicated than traditional transaction. It's not easy to decide which delivery model e-commerce enterprises should adopt. Having e-commerce's logistics delivery as the main research object, this essay aims to find a more suitable logistics delivery model for JD's development.

  2. Design and recognition of artificial landmarks for reliable indoor self-localization of mobile robots

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xu Zhong

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available This article presents a self-localization scheme for indoor mobile robot navigation based on reliable design and recognition of artificial visual landmarks. Each landmark is patterned with a set of concentric circular rings in black and white, which reliably encodes the landmark’s identity under environmental illumination. A mobile robot in navigation uses an onboard camera to capture landmarks in the environment. The landmarks in an image are detected and identified using a bilayer recognition algorithm: A global recognition process initially extracts candidate landmark regions across the whole image and tries to identify enough landmarks; if necessary, a local recognition process locally enhances those unidentified regions of interest influenced by illumination and incompleteness and reidentifies them. The recognized landmarks are used to estimate the position and orientation of the onboard camera in the environment, based on the geometric relationship between the image and environmental frames. The experiments carried out in a real indoor environment show high robustness of the proposed landmark design and recognition scheme to the illumination condition, which leads to reliable and accurate mobile robot localization.

  3. Engagement Strategies for Self-Monitoring Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder With Mobile and Wearable Technology: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cochran, Amy; Belman-Wells, Livia; McInnis, Melvin

    2018-05-10

    Monitoring signs and symptoms in bipolar disorder (BP) is typically based on regular assessments from patient-clinician interactions. Mobile and wearable technology promises to make monitoring symptoms in BP easier, but little is known about how best to engage individuals with BP in monitoring symptoms. The objective of this study was to provide the rationale and protocol for a randomized controlled trial that investigates engagement strategies for monitoring symptoms of BP, including the strategies of using activity trackers compared with self-reports and reviewing recorded symptoms weekly with an interviewer. A total of 50 individuals with BP will be recruited from the Prechter Longitudinal Study of Bipolar Disorder at the University of Michigan to participate in a 6-week study. Participants will monitor their symptoms through an activity tracker (Fitbit Alta HR) and a mobile phone app designed for this study. In addition to monitoring symptoms, participants have a 50-50 chance of being assigned to an arm that reviews self-reports and activity information weekly. Statistical tests will be performed to test hypotheses that participants adhere to activity tracking significantly more than self-reporting, prefer activity tracking significantly more than self-reporting, and better adhere to both activity tracking and self-reporting when reviewing collected information weekly. Recruitment commenced in November 2017. The first group of participants began the study in January 2018. This study aims to establish strategies to engage individuals with BP in monitoring their symptoms with mobile and wearable technology. Better engagement strategies are expected to aid current efforts in bipolar research and clinical care, from the development of new mobile phone apps to providing the right intervention to the right individual at the right moment. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03358238; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03358238 (Archived by WebCite at http

  4. Self-Cleaning Photocatalytic Polyurethane Coatings Containing Modified C60 Fullerene Additives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeffrey G. Lundin

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Surfaces are often coated with paint for improved aesthetics and protection; however, additional functionalities that impart continuous self-decontaminating and self-cleaning properties would be extremely advantageous. In this report, photochemical additives based on C60 fullerene were incorporated into polyurethane coatings to investigate their coating compatibility and ability to impart chemical decontaminating capability to the coating surface. C60 exhibits unique photophysical properties, including the capability to generate singlet oxygen upon exposure to visible light; however, C60 fullerene exhibits poor solubility in solvents commonly employed in coating applications. A modified C60 containing a hydrophilic moiety was synthesized to improve polyurethane compatibility and facilitate segregation to the polymer–air interface. Bulk properties of the polyurethane films were analyzed to investigate additive–coating compatibility. Coatings containing photoactive additives were subjected to self-decontamination challenges against representative chemical contaminants and the effects of additive loading concentration, light exposure, and time on chemical decontamination are reported. Covalent attachment of an ethylene glycol tail to C60 improved its solubility and dispersion in a hydrophobic polyurethane matrix. Decomposition products resulting from oxidation were observed in addition to a direct correlation between additive loading concentration and decomposition of surface-residing contaminants. The degradation pathways deduced from contaminant challenge byproduct analyses are detailed.

  5. DNA origami as an in vivo drug delivery vehicle for cancer therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qian; Jiang, Qiao; Li, Na; Dai, Luru; Liu, Qing; Song, Linlin; Wang, Jinye; Li, Yaqian; Tian, Jie; Ding, Baoquan; Du, Yang

    2014-07-22

    Many chemotherapeutics used for cancer treatments encounter issues during delivery to tumors in vivo and may have high levels of systemic toxicity due to their nonspecific distribution. Various materials have been explored to fabricate nanoparticles as drug carriers to improve delivery efficiency. However, most of these materials suffer from multiple drawbacks, such as limited biocompatibility and inability to engineer spatially addressable surfaces that can be utilized for multifunctional activity. Here, we demonstrate that DNA origami possessed enhanced tumor passive targeting and long-lasting properties at the tumor region. Particularly, the triangle-shaped DNA origami exhibits optimal tumor passive targeting accumulation. The delivery of the known anticancer drug doxorubicin into tumors by self-assembled DNA origami nanostructures was performed, and this approach showed prominent therapeutic efficacy in vivo. The DNA origami carriers were prepared through the self-assembly of M13mp18 phage DNA and hundreds of complementary DNA helper strands; the doxorubicin was subsequently noncovalently intercalated into these nanostructures. After conducting fluorescence imaging and safety evaluation, the doxorubicin-containing DNA origami exhibited remarkable antitumor efficacy without observable systemic toxicity in nude mice bearing orthotopic breast tumors labeled with green fluorescent protein. Our results demonstrated the potential of DNA origami nanostructures as innovative platforms for the efficient and safe drug delivery of cancer therapeutics in vivo.

  6. Mobile mental health interventions following war and disaster

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuhn, Eric; Jaworski, Beth K.; Owen, Jason E.; Ramsey, Kelly M.

    2016-01-01

    Mobile technologies offer potentially critical ways of delivering mental health support to those experiencing war, ethnic conflict, and human-caused and natural disasters. Research on Internet interventions suggests that effective mobile mental health technologies can be developed, and there are early indications that they will be acceptable to war and disaster survivors, and prove capable of greatly increasing the reach of mental health services. Promising mhealth interventions include video teleconferencing, text messaging, and smartphone-based applications. In addition, a variety of social media platforms has been used during and immediately after disasters to increase agility in responding, and strengthen community and individual resilience. Globally, PTSD Coach has been downloaded over 243,000 times in 96 countries, and together with large-scale use of social media for communication during disasters, suggests the potential for reach of app technology. In addition to enabling improved self-management of post-trauma problems, mobile phone interventions can also enhance delivery of face-to-face care by mental health providers and increase the effectiveness of peer helpers and mutual aid organizations. More research is needed to establish the efficacy of mhealth interventions for those affected by war and disaster. Research should also focus on the identification of active elements and core processes of change, determination of effective ways of increasing adoption and engagement, and explore ways of combining the various capabilities of mobile technologies to maximize their impact. PMID:28293610

  7. Mobile mental health interventions following war and disaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruzek, Josef I; Kuhn, Eric; Jaworski, Beth K; Owen, Jason E; Ramsey, Kelly M

    2016-01-01

    Mobile technologies offer potentially critical ways of delivering mental health support to those experiencing war, ethnic conflict, and human-caused and natural disasters. Research on Internet interventions suggests that effective mobile mental health technologies can be developed, and there are early indications that they will be acceptable to war and disaster survivors, and prove capable of greatly increasing the reach of mental health services. Promising mhealth interventions include video teleconferencing, text messaging, and smartphone-based applications. In addition, a variety of social media platforms has been used during and immediately after disasters to increase agility in responding, and strengthen community and individual resilience. Globally, PTSD Coach has been downloaded over 243,000 times in 96 countries, and together with large-scale use of social media for communication during disasters, suggests the potential for reach of app technology. In addition to enabling improved self-management of post-trauma problems, mobile phone interventions can also enhance delivery of face-to-face care by mental health providers and increase the effectiveness of peer helpers and mutual aid organizations. More research is needed to establish the efficacy of mhealth interventions for those affected by war and disaster. Research should also focus on the identification of active elements and core processes of change, determination of effective ways of increasing adoption and engagement, and explore ways of combining the various capabilities of mobile technologies to maximize their impact.

  8. An evaluation of self-reported mobile phone use compared to billing records among a group of engineers and scientists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shum, Mona; Kelsh, Michael A; Sheppard, Asher R; Zhao, Ke

    2011-01-01

    Most epidemiologic studies of potential health impacts of mobile phones rely on self-reported information, which can lead to exposure misclassification. We compared self-reported questionnaire data among 60 participants, and phone billing records over a 3-year period (2002-2004). Phone usage information was compared by the calculation of the mean and median number of calls and duration of use, as well as correlation coefficients and associated P-values. Average call duration from self-reports was slightly lower than billing records (2.1 min vs. 2.8 min, P = 0.01). Participants reported a higher number of average daily calls than billing records (7.9 vs. 4.1, P = 0.002). Correlation coefficients for average minutes per day of mobile phone use and average number of calls per day were relatively high (R = 0.71 and 0.69, respectively, P correlations between self-reported mobile phone usage and billing records and substantial variability in recall are consistent with previous studies. However, the direction of over- and under-reporting was not consistent with previous research. We did not observe increased variability over longer periods of recall or a pattern of lower accuracy among older age groups compared with younger groups. Study limitations included a relatively small sample size, low participation rates, and potential limited generalizability. The variability within studies and non-uniformity across studies indicates that estimation of the frequency and duration of phone use by questionnaires should be supplemented with subscriber records whenever practical. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  9. Mobile Phone Health Applications for the Federal Sector.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burrows, Christin S; Weigel, Fred K

    2016-01-01

    As the US healthcare system moves toward a mobile care model, mobile phones will play a significant role in the future of healthcare delivery. Today, 90% of American adults own a mobile phone and 64% own a smartphone, yet many healthcare organizations are only beginning to explore the opportunities in which mobile phones can improve and streamline care. After searching Google Scholar, the Association for Computing Machinery Database, and PubMed for articles related to mobile phone health applications and cell phone text message health, we selected articles and studies related to the application of mobile phones in healthcare. From our initial review, we identified the potential application areas and continued to refine our search, identifying a total of 55 articles for additional review and analysis. From the literature, we identified 3 main themes for mobile phone implementation in improving healthcare: primary, preventive, and population health. We recommend federal health leaders pursue the value and potential in these areas; not only because 90% of Americans already own mobile phones, but also because mobile phone integration can provide substantial access and potential cost savings. From the positive findings of multiple studies in primary, preventive, and population health, we propose a 5-year federal implementation plan to integrate mobile phone capabilities into federal healthcare delivery. Our proposal has the potential to improve access, reduce costs, and increase patient satisfaction, therefore changing the way the federal sector delivers healthcare by 2021.

  10. Multi-Layer Self-Nanoemulsifying Pellets: an Innovative Drug Delivery System for the Poorly Water-Soluble Drug Cinnarizine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahba, Ahmad Abdul-Wahhab; Ahmed, Abid Riaz; Alanazi, Fars Kaed; Mohsin, Kazi; Abdel-Rahman, Sayed Ibrahim

    2018-04-25

    Beside their solubility limitations, some poorly water-soluble drugs undergo extensive degradation in aqueous and/or lipid-based formulations. Multi-layer self-nanoemulsifying pellets (ML-SNEP) introduce an innovative delivery system based on isolating the drug from the self-nanoemulsifying layer to enhance drug aqueous solubility and minimize degradation. In the current study, various batches of cinnarizine (CN) ML-SNEP were prepared using fluid bed coating and involved a drug-free self-nanoemulsifying layer, protective layer, drug layer, moisture-sealing layer, and/or an anti-adherent layer. Each layer was optimized based on coating outcomes such as coating recovery and mono-pellets%. The optimized ML-SNEP were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), in vitro dissolution, and stability studies. The optimized ML-SNEP were free-flowing, well separated with high coating recovery. SEM showed multiple well-defined coating layers. The acidic polyvinylpyrrolidone:CN (4:1) solution presented excellent drug-layering outcomes. DSC and XRD confirmed CN transformation into amorphous state within the drug layer. The isolation between CN and self-nanoemulsifying layer did not adversely affect drug dissolution. CN was able to spontaneously migrate into the micelles arising from the drug-free self-nanoemulsifying layer. ML-SNEP showed superior dissolution compared to Stugeron® tablets at pH 1.2 and 6.8. Particularly, on shifting to pH 6.8, ML-SNEP maintained > 84% CN in solution while Stugeron® tablets showed significant CN precipitation leaving only 7% CN in solution. Furthermore, ML-SNEP (comprising Kollicoat® Smartseal 30D) showed robust stability and maintained > 97% intact CN within the accelerated storage conditions. Accordingly, ML-SNEP offer a novel delivery system that combines both enhanced solubilization and stabilization of unstable poorly soluble drugs.

  11. Invigorating Library Service Delivery through the Adoption of M ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Invigorating Library Service Delivery through the Adoption of M-Learning by Library Users in Nigeria. ... Nigerian School Library Journal ... so as to be at par with the libraries in the developed nations and to keep abreast Nigerian library users with the recent mobile technologies in the library services delivery in the world.

  12. Natural material-decorated mesoporous silica nanoparticle container for multifunctional membrane-controlled targeted drug delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hu Y

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Yan Hu,1 Lei Ke,2 Hao Chen,1 Ma Zhuo,1 Xinzhou Yang,1 Dan Zhao,1 Suying Zeng,1 Xincai Xiao1 1Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Science, South-Central University for Nationalities, 2Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China Abstract: To avoid the side effects caused by nonspecific targeting, premature release, weak selectivity, and poor therapeutic efficacy of current nanoparticle-based systems used for drug delivery, we fabricated natural material-decorated nanoparticles as a multifunctional, membrane-controlled targeted drug delivery system. The nanocomposite material coated with a membrane was biocompatible and integrated both specific tumor targeting and responsiveness to stimulation, which improved transmission efficacy and controlled drug release. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs, which are known for their biocompatibility and high drug-loading capacity, were selected as a model drug container and carrier. The membrane was established by the polyelectrolyte composite method from chitosan (CS which was sensitive to the acidic tumor microenvironment, folic acid-modified CS which recognizes the folate receptor expressed on the tumor cell surface, and a CD44 receptor-targeted polysaccharide hyaluronic acid. We characterized the structure of the nanocomposite as well as the drug release behavior under the control of the pH-sensitive membrane switch and evaluated the antitumor efficacy of the system in vitro. Our results provide a basis for the design and fabrication of novel membrane-controlled nanoparticles with improved tumor-targeting therapy. Keywords: multifunctional, membrane-controlled, natural materials, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, targeted drug delivery

  13. Low vision and mobility scooters: the experiences of individuals with low vision who use mobility scooters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McMullan, Keri S; Butler, Mary

    2018-05-09

    Older adults with low vision are a growing population with rehabilitation needs including support with community mobility to enable community participation. Some older adults with low vision choose to use mobility scooters to mobilize within their community, but there is limited research about the use by people with low vision. This paper describes a pilot study and asks the question: what are the experiences of persons with low vision who use mobility scooters? This study gathered the experiences of four participants with low vision, aged 51 and over, who regularly use mobility scooters. Diverse methods were used including a go-along, a semi-structured interview and a new measure of functional vision for mobility called the vision-related outcomes in orientation and mobility (VROOM). Four themes were found to describe experiences: autonomy and well-being, accessibility, community interactions and self-regulation. Discussion and implications: This study was a pilot for a larger study examining self-regulation in scooter users. However, as roles emerge for health professionals and scooters, the findings also provide evidence to inform practice, because it demonstrates the complex meaning and influences on performance involved in low vision mobility scooter use. Implications for rehabilitation Scooter use supports autonomy and well-being and community connections for individuals with both mobility and visual impairments. Low vision scooter users demonstrate self-regulation of their scooter use to manage both their visual and environmental limitations. Issues of accessibility experienced by this sample affect a wider community of footpath users, emphasizing the need for councils to address inadequate infrastructure. Rehabilitators can support their low vision clients' scooter use by acknowledging issues of accessibility and promoting self-regulation strategies to manage risks and barriers.

  14. Self-consolidating concretes containing waste PET bottles as sand replacement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khalid, Faisal Sheikh; Azmi, Nurul Bazilah; Mazenan, Puteri Natasya; Shahidan, Shahiron; Othman, Nor hazurina; Guntor, Nickholas Anting Anak

    2018-02-01

    This study evaluates the effect of self-consolidating concrete (SCC) containing waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) granules on the fresh, mechanical and water absorption properties. Fine aggregates were replaced from 0% to 8% by PET granules. The fresh properties of SCC containing PET granules were determined using slump flow and V-funnel flow time tests. The compressive and splitting tensile strength were evaluated. The results indicated that utilization of waste PET granules in production of SCC could be an effective way for recycling purpose. The maximum amount of PET replacement should be limited to 5%. Exceeding 5% of PET content may result in an increase of V-funnel flow time to overpass the limiting value, decrease in strength. The production of high performance SCC containing 5% PET granules satisfies all the requirements for SCC with satisfactory outputs.

  15. Design and Synthesis of Self-Assembled Polymeric Nanoparticles for Cancer Drug Delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Logie, Jennifer

    Current chemotherapeutics are plagued by poor solubility and selectivity, requiring toxic excipients in formulations and causing a number of dose limiting side effects. Nanoparticle delivery has emerged as a strategy to more effectively deliver chemotherapeutics to the tumour site. Specifically, polymeric micelles enable the solubilization of hydrophobic small molecule drugs within the core and mitigate the necessity of excipients. Notwithstanding the significant progress made in polymeric micelle delivery, translation is limited by poor stability and low drug loading. In this work, a rational design approach is used to chemically modify poly(D,L-lactide-co-2-methyl-2-carboxytrimethylene carbonate)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) (P(LA-co-TMCC)-g-PEG) in order to overcome these limitations and effectively deliver drug to tumours. The PEG density of the polymer system was optimized to enhance the stability of our polymeric micelles. Higher PEG densities permitted the lyophilization of micelles and enhanced the serum stability of the system. To increase the drug loading of our system, we facilitated specific intermolecular interactions within the micelle core. For drugs that form colloidal aggregates, such as pentyl-PABC doxazolidine, polymers were used to stabilize the colloidal core against aggregation and protein adsorption. For more challenging molecules, where self-assembly cannot be controlled, such as docetaxel, we modified the polymeric backbone with a peptide from the binding site of the drug to achieve loadings five times higher than those achieved in conventional micelle systems. This novel docetaxel nanoparticle was assessed in vivo in an orthotopic mouse model of breast cancer, where it showed a wider therapeutic index than the conventional ethanolic polysorbate 80 formulation. The improved tolerability of this formulation enabled higher dosing regimens and led to heightened efficacy and survival in this mouse model. Combined, these studies validated P

  16. Study of patient satisfaction and self-expressed problems after emergency caesarean delivery under subarachnoid block

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V R Hemanth Kumar

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aims: Subarachnoid block is one of the common modes of anaesthesia opted for emergency caesarean section, if the maternal and foetal conditions are favourable. Various factors influence the quality of care administered during the procedure. This questionnaire based study was undertaken to look for self-expressed problems in peri-operative period in patients undergoing emergency caesarean surgery under subarachnoid block. Methods: All the parturients who underwent emergency caesarean section under subarachnoid block during 6 months period were distributed a questionnaire in post-operative period. They were encouraged to fill and return the form within 15 days. Patient satisfaction and the self-expressed problems were analysed at the end of 6 months. Results: One hundred and seventy five out of 220 parturients responded. 58.3% of them said that they were explained about the anaesthesia prior to surgery and 85.3% overall remained anxious. With people around them, 93.1% of them felt comfortable and 91.4% expressed that they were made comfortable inside the theatre. The self-expressed problems were shivering (43.4%, breathlessness (21.7%, pain (20%, post-operative headache (15.4% and backache (19.4%. Parturients who heard their babies cry was 85.1%. After their babies were shown after delivery, 77.1% mothers slept well; 86.9% fed their babies within 4 h of delivery. Conclusion: Pre-operative communication in emergency caesarean section by health personnel did not reduce the anxiety level, which shows that communication was ineffective. Intra-operative psychological support like making the patient comfortable, showing baby to mother and early breast feeding improve bonding between child and mother and essentially contribute to patient satisfaction.

  17. The efficacy of mobile application use on recall of surgical risks in nasal bone fracture reduction surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Choong Hyeon; Cheon, Ji Seon; Choi, Woo Young; Son, Kyung Min

    2018-03-01

    The number of surgical risks recalled by a patient after surgery can be used as a parameter for assessing how well the patient has understood the informed consent process. No study has investigated the usefulness of a self-developed mobile application in the traditional informed consent process in patients with a nasal bone fracture. This study aimed to investigate whether delivery of information, such as surgical risks, through a mobile application is more effective than delivery of information through only verbal means and a paper. This prospective, randomized study included 60 patients with a nasal bone fracture. The experimental group (n=30) received preoperative explanation with the traditional informed consent process in addition to a mobile application, while the control group (n=30) received preoperative explanation with only the traditional informed consent process. Four weeks after surgery, the number of recalled surgical risks was compared for analysis. The following six surgical risks were explained: pain, bleeding, nasal deformity, numbness, nasal obstruction, and nasal cartilage necrosis. The mean number of recalled surgical risks among all patients was 1.58±0.56. The most frequently recalled surgical risk was nasal deformity in both groups. The mean number of recalled surgical risks was 1.72±0.52 in the experimental group and 1.49±0.57 in the control group. There was a significant association between mobile application use and the mean number of recalled surgical risks ( p =0.047). Age, sex, and the level of education were not significantly associated with the mean number of recalled surgical risks. This study found that a mobile application could contribute to the efficient delivery of information during the informed consent process. With further improvement, it could be used in other plastic surgeries and other surgeries, and such an application can potentially be used for explaining risks as well as delivering other types of information.

  18. Cross-Cultural Difference in Academic Motivation, Academic Self-Esteem, and Upward Social Mobility within a Student Cohort

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mugabe, C.; Brug, P.; Catling, J. C.

    2016-01-01

    The relationship between academic motivation, support structures, self-esteem, and social mobility was assessed between three culturally distinct Higher Education student cohorts. Two-hundred-and-sixty-seven students took part in the study: 64 American undergraduates; 100 British undergraduates; and 103 Ugandan undergraduates. Using a number of…

  19. Lecithin-linker formulations for self-emulsifying delivery of nutraceuticals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Jacquelene; Cheng, Yu-Ling; Rao, A Venketeshwer; Nouraei, Mehdi; Zarate-Muñoz, Silvia; Acosta, Edgar J

    2014-08-25

    Lecithin-linker microemulsions are formulations produced with soybean lecithin in combination with a highly lipophilic (lipophilic linker) and highly hydrophilic (hydrophilic linkers) surfactant-like additives. In this work, lecithin-linker systems were formulated to produce self-emulsifying delivery systems for β-carotene and β-sitosterol. The concentration of the lipophilic linker, sorbitan monooleate, was adjusted to minimize the formation of liquid crystals. The concentration of hydrophilic linkers, decaglyceryl caprylate/caprate and PEG-6-caprylic/capric glycerides, was gradually increased (scanned) until single phase clear microemulsions were obtained. For these scans, the oil (ethyl caprate) to water ratio was set to 1. The single phase, clear microemulsions were diluted with fed-state simulated intestinal fluid (FeSSIF) and produced stable emulsions, with drop sizes close to 200 nm. Using pseudo-ternary phase diagrams to evaluate the process of dilution of microemulsion preconcentrates (mixtures of oil, lecithin and linkers with little or no water) with FeSSIF, it was determined that self-emulsifying systems are obtained when the early stages of the dilution produce single phase microemulsions. If liquid crystals or multiple phase systems are obtained during those early stages, then the emulsification yields unstable emulsions with large drop sizes. An in vitro permeability study conducted using a Flow-Thru Dialyzer revealed that stable emulsions with drop sizes of 150-300 nm produce large and irreversible permeation of β-carotene to sheep intestine. On the other hand, unstable emulsions produced without the linker combination separated in the dialyzer chamber. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Internet Use and Access Among Pregnant Women via Computer and Mobile Phone: Implications for Delivery of Perinatal Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peragallo Urrutia, Rachel; Berger, Alexander A; Ivins, Amber A; Beckham, A Jenna; Thorp Jr, John M

    2015-01-01

    report use of Twitter and chat rooms compared to women 30 years of age or older. Of the participants, 82.0% (82/100) were fairly willing or very willing to participate in postpartum lifestyle intervention. Of the participants, 83.0% (83/100) were fairly willing or very willing to participate in an Internet intervention delivered via computer, while only 49.0% (49/100) were fairly willing or very willing to do so via mobile phone technology. Older women and women with children tended to be less likely to desire a mobile phone-based program. Conclusions There is broad access and use of computer and mobile phone technology among southern US pregnant women with varied demographic characteristics. Pregnant women are willing to participate in Internet-supported perinatal interventions. Our findings can inform the development of computer- and mobile phone-based approaches for the delivery of clinical and educational interventions. PMID:25835744

  1. Synchronous Parallel Emulation and Discrete Event Simulation System with Self-Contained Simulation Objects and Active Event Objects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinman, Jeffrey S. (Inventor)

    1998-01-01

    The present invention is embodied in a method of performing object-oriented simulation and a system having inter-connected processor nodes operating in parallel to simulate mutual interactions of a set of discrete simulation objects distributed among the nodes as a sequence of discrete events changing state variables of respective simulation objects so as to generate new event-defining messages addressed to respective ones of the nodes. The object-oriented simulation is performed at each one of the nodes by assigning passive self-contained simulation objects to each one of the nodes, responding to messages received at one node by generating corresponding active event objects having user-defined inherent capabilities and individual time stamps and corresponding to respective events affecting one of the passive self-contained simulation objects of the one node, restricting the respective passive self-contained simulation objects to only providing and receiving information from die respective active event objects, requesting information and changing variables within a passive self-contained simulation object by the active event object, and producing corresponding messages specifying events resulting therefrom by the active event objects.

  2. Intelligent, self-contained robotic hand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krutik, Vitaliy; Doo, Burt; Townsend, William T.; Hauptman, Traveler; Crowell, Adam; Zenowich, Brian; Lawson, John

    2007-01-30

    A robotic device has a base and at least one finger having at least two links that are connected in series on rotary joints with at least two degrees of freedom. A brushless motor and an associated controller are located at each joint to produce a rotational movement of a link. Wires for electrical power and communication serially connect the controllers in a distributed control network. A network operating controller coordinates the operation of the network, including power distribution. At least one, but more typically two to five, wires interconnect all the controllers through one or more joints. Motor sensors and external world sensors monitor operating parameters of the robotic hand. The electrical signal output of the sensors can be input anywhere on the distributed control network. V-grooves on the robotic hand locate objects precisely and assist in gripping. The hand is sealed, immersible and has electrical connections through the rotary joints for anodizing in a single dunk without masking. In various forms, this intelligent, self-contained, dexterous hand, or combinations of such hands, can perform a wide variety of object gripping and manipulating tasks, as well as locomotion and combinations of locomotion and gripping.

  3. Side-chain amino-acid-based pH-responsive self-assembled block copolymers for drug delivery and gene transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Sonu; Acharya, Rituparna; Chatterji, Urmi; De, Priyadarsi

    2013-12-10

    Developing safe and effective nanocarriers for multitype of delivery system is advantageous for several kinds of successful biomedicinal therapy with the same carrier. In the present study, we have designed amino acid biomolecules derived hybrid block copolymers which can act as a promising vehicle for both drug delivery and gene transfer. Two representative natural chiral amino acid-containing (l-phenylalanine and l-alanine) vinyl monomers were polymerized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) process in the presence of monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol) based macro-chain transfer agents (mPEGn-CTA) for the synthesis of well-defined side-chain amino-acid-based amphiphilic block copolymers, monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(Boc-amino acid methacryloyloxyethyl ester) (mPEGn-b-P(Boc-AA-EMA)). The self-assembled micellar aggregation of these amphiphilic block copolymers were studied by fluorescence spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Potential applications of these hybrid polymers as drug carrier have been demonstrated in vitro by encapsulation of nile red dye or doxorubicin drug into the core of the micellar nanoaggregates. Deprotection of side-chain Boc- groups in the amphiphilic block copolymers subsequently transformed them into double hydrophilic pH-responsive cationic block copolymers having primary amino groups in the side-chain terminal. The DNA binding ability of these cationic block copolymers were further investigated by using agarose gel retardation assay and AFM. The in vitro cytotoxicity assay demonstrated their biocompatible nature and these polymers can serve as "smart" materials for promising bioapplications.

  4. Micrometer-sized TPM emulsion droplets with surface-mobile binding groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Wel, Casper; van de Stolpe, Guido L.; Verweij, Ruben W.; Kraft, Daniela J.

    2018-03-01

    Colloids coated with lipid membranes have been widely employed for fundamental studies of lipid membrane processes, biotechnological applications such as drug delivery and biosensing, and more recently, for self-assembly. The latter has been made possible by inserting DNA oligomers with covalently linked hydrophobic anchors into the membrane. The lateral mobility of the DNA linkers on micrometer-sized droplets and solid particles has opened the door to creating structures with unprecedented structural flexibility. Here, we investigate micro-emulsions of TPM (3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate) as a platform for lipid monolayers and further functionalization with proteins and DNA oligonucleotides. TPM droplets can be produced with a narrow size distribution and are polymerizable, thus providing supports for model lipid membranes with controlled size and curvature. With fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, we observed that droplet-attached lipids, NeutrAvidin proteins, as well as DNA oligonucleotides all show mobility on the surface. We explored the assembly of micron-sized particles on TPM-droplets by exploiting either avidin-biotin interactions or double-stranded DNA with complementary single-stranded end groups. While the single molecules are mobile, the particles that are attached to them are not. We propose that this is caused by the heterogeneous nature of emulsified TPM, which forms an oligomer network that limits the collective motion of linkers, but allows the surface mobility of individual molecules.

  5. Relational Mobility Explains Between- and Within-Culture Differences in Self-Disclosure to Close Friends

    OpenAIRE

    Schug, Joanna; Yuki, Masaki; Maddux, William W.

    2010-01-01

    The current research proposes a novel explanation for previously demonstrated findings that East Asians disclose less personal information to others than do Westerners. We propose that both between- and within-culture differences in self-disclosure toward close friends may be explained by the construct of "relational mobility" - the general degree to which individuals in the society have the opportunities to form new and terminate old relationships. In Study 1, we found that cross-cultural di...

  6. The HEART mobile phone trial: The partial mediating effects of self-efficacy on physical activity among cardiac patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ralph eMaddison

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: The ubiquitous use of mobile phones provides an ideal opportunity to deliver interventions to increase physical activity levels. Understanding potential mediators of such interventions is needed to increase their effectiveness. A recent randomized controlled trial of a mobile phone and Internet (mHealth intervention was conducted in New Zealand to determine the effectiveness on exercise capacity and physical activity levels in addition to current cardiac rehabilitation (CR services for people (n=171 with ischaemic heart disease (IHD. Significant intervention effect was observed for self-reported leisure time physical activity and walking, but not peak oxygen uptake (PVO2 at 24 weeks. There was also significant improvement in self-efficacy.Objective: To evaluate the mediating effect of self-efficacy on physical activity levels in an mHealth delivered exercise CR programme. Methods: Treatment evaluations were performed on the principle of intention to treat (ITT. Adjusted regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the main treatment effect on leisure time physical activity and walking at 24 weeks, with and without change in self-efficacy as the mediator of interest. Results: Change in self-efficacy at 24 weeks significantly mediated the treatment effect on leisure time physical activity by 13%, but only partially mediated the effect on walking by 4% at 24 weeks. Conclusion: An mHealth intervention involving text messaging and Internet support had a positive treatment effect on leisure time physical activity and walking at 24 weeks, and this effect was likely mediated through changes in self-efficacy. Future trials should examine other potential mediators related to this type of intervention.

  7. Mobile Mixed Reality for Experiential Learning and Simulation in Medical and Health Sciences Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James Birt

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available New accessible learning methods delivered through mobile mixed reality are becoming possible in education, shifting pedagogy from the use of two dimensional images and videos to facilitating learning via interactive mobile environments. This is especially important in medical and health education, where the required knowledge acquisition is typically much more experiential, self-directed, and hands-on than in many other disciplines. Presented are insights obtained from the implementation and testing of two mobile mixed reality interventions across two Australian higher education classrooms in medicine and health sciences, concentrating on student perceptions of mobile mixed reality for learning physiology and anatomy in a face-to-face medical and health science classroom and skills acquisition in airways management focusing on direct laryngoscopy with foreign body removal in a distance paramedic science classroom. This is unique because most studies focus on a single discipline, focusing on either skills or the learner experience and a single delivery modality rather than linking cross-discipline knowledge acquisition and the development of a student’s tangible skills across multimodal classrooms. Outcomes are presented from post-intervention student interviews and discipline academic observation, which highlight improvements in learner motivation and skills, but also demonstrated pedagogical challenges to overcome with mobile mixed reality learning.

  8. Monoacyl phosphatidylcholine inhibits the formation of lipid multilamellar structures during in vitro lipolysis of self-emulsifying drug delivery systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Thuy; Siqueira, Scheyla D V S; Amenitsch, Heinz; Rades, Thomas; Müllertz, Anette

    2017-10-15

    The colloidal structures formed during lipolysis of self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) might affect the solubilisation and possibly the absorption of drugs. The aim of the current study is to elucidate the structures formed during the in vitro lipolysis of four SEDDS containing medium-chain glycerides and caprylocaproyl polyoxyl-8 glycerides (Labrasol), with or without monoacyl phosphatidylcholine (MAPC). In situ synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was combined with ex situ cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) to elucidate the generated structures. The SAXS scattering curves obtained during the lipolysis of MAPC-free SEDDS containing 43-60% w/w Labrasol displayed a lamellar phase peak at q=2.13nm -1 that increased with Labrasol concentration, suggesting the presence of multilamellar structures (MLS) with a d-spacing of 2.95nm. However, SEDDS containing 20-30% w/w MAPC did not form MLS during the lipolysis. The cryo-TEM and DLS studies showed that MAPC-free SEDDS formed coarse emulsions while MAPC-containing SEDDS formed nanoemulsions during the dispersion in digestion medium. From the first minute and during the entire lipolysis process, SEDDS both with and without MAPC generated uni-, bi-, and oligo-lamellar vesicles. The lipolysis kinetics in the first minutes of the four SEDDS correlated with an increased intensity of the SAXS curves and the rapid transformation from lipid droplets to vesicles observed by cryo-TEM. In conclusion, the study elucidates the structures formed during in vitro lipolysis of SEDDS and the inhibitory effect of MAPC on the formation of MLS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Randomized trial of a smartphone mobile application compared to text messaging to support smoking cessation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buller, David B; Borland, Ron; Bettinghaus, Erwin P; Shane, James H; Zimmerman, Donald E

    2014-03-01

    Text messaging has successfully supported smoking cessation. This study compares a mobile application with text messaging to support smoking cessation. Young adult smokers 18-30 years old (n = 102) participated in a randomized pretest-posttest trial. Smokers received a smartphone application (REQ-Mobile) with short messages and interactive tools or a text messaging system (onQ), managed by an expert system. Self-reported usability of REQ-Mobile and quitting behavior (quit attempts, point-prevalence, 30-day point-prevalence, and continued abstinence) were assessed in posttests. Overall, 60% of smokers used mobile services (REQ-Mobile, 61%, mean of 128.5 messages received; onQ, 59%, mean of 107.8 messages), and 75% evaluated REQ-Mobile as user-friendly. A majority of smokers reported being abstinent at posttest (6 weeks, 53% of completers; 12 weeks, 66% of completers [44% of all cases]). Also, 37% (25%of all cases) reported 30-day point-prevalence abstinence, and 32% (22% of all cases) reported continuous abstinence at 12 weeks. OnQ produced more abstinence (ptext messaging. Text messaging may work better because it is simple, well known, and delivered to a primary inbox. These advantages may disappear as smokers become more experienced with new handsets. Mobile phones may be promising delivery platforms for cessation services using either smartphone applications or text messaging.

  10. Combined scanning probe and light scattering characterization of multi-stage self-assembly of targeted liposome-based delivery systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farkas, N; Dagata, J A; Yang, C; Rait, A; Pirollo, K F; Chang, E H

    2011-01-01

    The mean size and size distribution of a targeted nanoparticle delivery system (NDS) strongly influences the intrinsic stability and functionality of this molecular complex, affects its performance as a systemic drug delivery platform and ultimately determines its efficacy toward early detection and treatment of cancer. Since its components undergo significant reorganization during multiple stages of self-assembly, it is essential to monitor the size and stability of the complex throughout the NDS formulation in order to ensure its potency and manufacturability prior to entering clinical trials. This work combines scanning probe microscopy (SPM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques to obtain quantitative and reliable size measurements of the NDS, and to investigate how variations in the NDS formulation or self-assembly process impact the size, structure and functionality of the complex with various therapeutic and diagnostic agent payloads. These combined SPM and DLS methods, when implemented at an early stage of the NDS formulation, present a potential measurement approach to facilitate drug discovery and development, optimization and quality control during manufacturing of the NDS

  11. Does walking speed mediate the association between visual impairment and self-report of mobility disability? The Salisbury Eye Evaluation Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swenor, Bonnielin K; Bandeen-Roche, Karen; Muñoz, Beatriz; West, Sheila K

    2014-08-01

    To determine whether performance speeds mediate the association between visual impairment and self-reported mobility disability over an 8-year period. Longitudinal analysis. Salisbury, Maryland. Salisbury Eye Evaluation Study participants aged 65 and older (N=2,520). Visual impairment was defined as best-corrected visual acuity worse than 20/40 in the better-seeing eye or visual field less than 20°. Self-reported mobility disability on three tasks was assessed: walking up stairs, walking down stairs, and walking 150 feet. Performance speed on three similar tasks was measured: walking up steps (steps/s), walking down steps (steps/s), and walking 4 m (m/s). For each year of observation, the odds of reporting mobility disability was significantly greater for participants who were visually impaired (VI) than for those who were not (NVI) (odds ratio (OR) difficulty walking up steps=1.58, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.32-1.89; OR difficulty walking down steps=1.90, 95% CI=1.59-2.28; OR difficulty walking 150 feet=2.11, 95% CI=1.77-2.51). Once performance speed on a similar mobility task was included in the models, VI participants were no longer more likely to report mobility disability than those who were NVI (OR difficulty walking up steps=0.84, 95% CI=0.65-1.11; OR difficulty walking down steps=0.96, 95% CI=0.74-1.24; OR difficulty walking 150 feet=1.22, 95% CI=0.98-1.50). Slower performance speed in VI individuals largely accounted for the difference in the odds of reporting mobility disability, suggesting that VI older adults walk slower and are therefore more likely to report mobility disability than those who are NVI. Improving mobility performance in older adults with visual impairment may minimize the perception of mobility disability. © 2014, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2014, The American Geriatrics Society.

  12. Field experience with a mobile tomographic nondestructive assay system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prettyman, T.H.; Betts, S.E.; Taggart, D.P.; Estep, R.J.; Nicholas, N.J.; Lucas, M.C.; Harlan, R.A.

    1995-01-01

    A mobile tomographic gamma-ray scanner (TGS) developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory was recently demonstrated at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site and is currently in use at Los Alamos waste storage areas. The scanner was developed to assay radionuclides in low-level, transuranic, and mixed waste in containers ranging in size from 2 ft 3 boxes to 83-gallon overpacks. The tomographic imaging capability provides a complete correction for source distribution and matrix attenuation effects, enabling accurate assays of Pu-239 and other gamma-ray emitting isotopes. In addition, the system can reliably detect self-absorbing material such as plutonium metal shot, and can correct for bias caused by self-absorption. The system can be quickly configured to execute far-field scans, segmented gamma-ray scans, and a host of intermediate scanning protocols, enabling higher throughput (up to 20 drums per 8-hour shift). In this paper, we will report on the results of field trials of the mobile system at Rocky Flats and Los Alamos. Assay accuracy is confirmed for cases in which TGS assays can be compared with assays (e.g. with calorimetry) of individual packages within the drums. The mobile tomographic technology is expected to considerably reduce characterization costs at DOE production and environmental technology sites

  13. Novel Pentablock Copolymers as Thermosensitive Self-Assembling Micelles for Ocular Drug Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mitra Alami-Milani

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Many studies have focused on how drugs are formulated in the sol state at room temperature leading to the formation of in situ gel at eye temperature to provide a controlled drug release. Stimuli-responsive block copolymer hydrogels possess several advantages including uncomplicated drug formulation and ease of application, no organic solvent, protective environment for drugs, site-specificity, prolonged and localized drug delivery, lower systemic toxicity, and capability to deliver both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs. Self-assembling block copolymers (such as diblock, triblock, and pentablock copolymers with large solubility variation between hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments are capable of making temperature-dependent micellar assembles, and with further increase in the temperature, of jellifying due to micellar aggregation. In general, molecular weight, hydrophobicity, and block arrangement have a significant effect on polymer crystallinity, micelle size, and in vitro drug release profile. The limitations of creature triblock copolymers as initial burst release can be largely avoided using micelles made of pentablock copolymers. Moreover, formulations based on pentablock copolymers can sustain drug release for a longer time. The present study aims to provide a concise overview of the initial and recent progresses in the design of hydrogel-based ocular drug delivery systems.

  14. Mobile Genome Express (MGE: A comprehensive automatic genetic analyses pipeline with a mobile device.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun-Hee Yoon

    Full Text Available The development of next-generation sequencing (NGS technology allows to sequence whole exomes or genome. However, data analysis is still the biggest bottleneck for its wide implementation. Most laboratories still depend on manual procedures for data handling and analyses, which translates into a delay and decreased efficiency in the delivery of NGS results to doctors and patients. Thus, there is high demand for developing an automatic and an easy-to-use NGS data analyses system. We developed comprehensive, automatic genetic analyses controller named Mobile Genome Express (MGE that works in smartphones or other mobile devices. MGE can handle all the steps for genetic analyses, such as: sample information submission, sequencing run quality check from the sequencer, secured data transfer and results review. We sequenced an Actrometrix control DNA containing multiple proven human mutations using a targeted sequencing panel, and the whole analysis was managed by MGE, and its data reviewing program called ELECTRO. All steps were processed automatically except for the final sequencing review procedure with ELECTRO to confirm mutations. The data analysis process was completed within several hours. We confirmed the mutations that we have identified were consistent with our previous results obtained by using multi-step, manual pipelines.

  15. Mobile Genome Express (MGE): A comprehensive automatic genetic analyses pipeline with a mobile device.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Jun-Hee; Kim, Thomas W; Mendez, Pedro; Jablons, David M; Kim, Il-Jin

    2017-01-01

    The development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology allows to sequence whole exomes or genome. However, data analysis is still the biggest bottleneck for its wide implementation. Most laboratories still depend on manual procedures for data handling and analyses, which translates into a delay and decreased efficiency in the delivery of NGS results to doctors and patients. Thus, there is high demand for developing an automatic and an easy-to-use NGS data analyses system. We developed comprehensive, automatic genetic analyses controller named Mobile Genome Express (MGE) that works in smartphones or other mobile devices. MGE can handle all the steps for genetic analyses, such as: sample information submission, sequencing run quality check from the sequencer, secured data transfer and results review. We sequenced an Actrometrix control DNA containing multiple proven human mutations using a targeted sequencing panel, and the whole analysis was managed by MGE, and its data reviewing program called ELECTRO. All steps were processed automatically except for the final sequencing review procedure with ELECTRO to confirm mutations. The data analysis process was completed within several hours. We confirmed the mutations that we have identified were consistent with our previous results obtained by using multi-step, manual pipelines.

  16. Utilisation of mobile health by medical doctors in a Zimbabwean ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Mobile Health is the utilisation of mobile devices like cellphones and tablets for the delivery of health care. It is an up and coming intervention promising to benefit health services. Recent mobile health studies have tended to focus on mHealth for data collection and surveillance rather than on actual patient care ...

  17. Interest in using mobile technology to help self-manage alcohol use among persons living with the human immunodeficiency virus: A Florida Cohort cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharpe, J Danielle; Zhou, Zhi; Escobar-Viera, César G; Morano, Jamie P; Lucero, Robert J; Ibañez, Gladys E; Hart, Mark; Cook, Christa L; Cook, Robert L

    2018-01-02

    Alcohol consumption at hazardous levels is more prevalent and associated with poor health outcomes among persons living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; PLWH). Although PLWH are receptive to using technology to manage health issues, it is unknown whether a cell phone app to self-manage alcohol use would be acceptable among PLWH who drink. The objectives of this study were to determine factors associated with interest in an app to self-manage drinking and to identify differences in baseline mobile technology use among PLWH by drinking level. The study population included 757 PLWH recruited from 2014 to 2016 into the Florida Cohort, an ongoing cohort study investigating the utilization of health services and HIV care outcomes among PLWH. Participants completed a questionnaire examining demographics, substance use, mobile technology use, and other health behaviors. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors significantly associated with interest in an app to self-manage drinking. We also determined whether mobile technology use varied by drinking level. Of the sample, 40% of persons who drink at hazardous levels, 34% of persons who drink at nonhazardous levels, and 19% of persons who do not drink were interested in a self-management app for alcohol use. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that nonhazardous drinking (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.78; confidence interval [CI 95%]: 1.10-2.88) and hazardous drinking (AOR = 2.58; CI: 1.60-4.16) were associated with interest, controlling for age, gender, education, and drug use. Regarding mobile technology use, most of the sample reported smartphone ownership (56%), text messaging (89%), and at least one cell phone app (69%). Regardless of drinking level, overall mobile technology use among PLWH was moderate, whereas PLWH who consumed alcohol expressed greater interest in a cell phone app to self-manage alcohol use. This indicates that many PLWH who drink would be interested

  18. Computer and mobile technology interventions for self-management in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCabe, Catherine; McCann, Margaret; Brady, Anne Marie

    2017-05-23

    Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by airflow obstruction due to an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to noxious particles or gases, for example, cigarette smoke. The pattern of care for people with moderate to very severe COPD often involves regular lengthy hospital admissions, which result in high healthcare costs and an undesirable effect on quality of life. Research over the past decade has focused on innovative methods for developing enabling and assistive technologies that facilitate patient self-management. To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions delivered by computer and by mobile technology versus face-to-face or hard copy/digital documentary-delivered interventions, or both, in facilitating, supporting, and sustaining self-management among people with COPD. In November 2016, we searched the Cochrane Airways Group Specialised Register (CAGR), which contains trial reports identified through systematic searches of bibliographic databases including the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, AMED, and PsycINFO, and we handsearched respiratory journals and meeting abstracts. We included randomised controlled trials that measured effects of remote and Web 2.0-based interventions defined as technologies including personal computers (PCs) and applications (apps) for mobile technology, such as iPad, Android tablets, smart phones, and Skype, on behavioural change towards self-management of COPD. Comparator interventions included face-to-face and/or hard copy/digital documentary educational/self-management support. Two review authors (CMcC and MMcC) independently screened titles, abstracts, and full-text study reports for inclusion. Two review authors (CMcC and AMB) independently assessed study quality and extracted data. We expressed continuous data as mean differences (MDs) and standardised mean differences (SMDs) for studies using different outcome measurement scales. We

  19. Development of a Healthy Lifestyle Mobile App for Overweight Pregnant Women: Qualitative Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, Ying; Cheng, Ling Jie; Chi, Claudia; Tsai, Cammy; Ong, Kai Wen; Ho-Lim, Sarah Su Tin; Wang, Wei; Tan, Kian-Lee

    2018-04-23

    Mobile apps are becoming an increasingly ubiquitous platform for delivery of health behavior interventions among overweight and obese perinatal women. However, only a few methodological guidelines on integrating theory, evidence, and qualitative research for their designs are available. The aim of this study was to develop a theory-based, evidence-driven, and user-centered healthy lifestyle app targeting overweight and obese multiethnic pregnant women. This paper illustrates how intervention development may be enriched with theoretical basis, systematic review, and qualitative study. An individual face-to-face interview was performed to incorporate the user's involvement in the design. These interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. Thematic analysis technique was used for emerging themes. Integrated concepts of social cognitive theory of self-regulation, self-regulation model, and strength model of self-control were selected as bases of the intervention. Evidence from our systematic review and meta-analysis provided the strongest evidence for the development of intervention. We invited 16 obese or overweight pregnant women to participate in a semistructured interview . The following key themes emerged: content, platform, interactivity, format, and functionality. Apps are a favorable technology platform for healthy diet advice, appropriate physical exercise, and weight management because they are user-friendly and convenient. The app used in this study contains culture-specific, pregnancy-related, and credible contents, including educational, professional and peer support, and self-monitoring domains. The design should include aesthetic appeal, visualized features, and interactive multimedia. A 3-step process integrating theoretical basis, evidence from systematic review, and research findings from target users can be considered a guide for future app development. ©Ying Lau, Ling Jie Cheng, Claudia Chi, Cammy Tsai, Kai Wen Ong, Sarah Su Tin Ho-Lim, Wei Wang

  20. Use of a mobile device by nursing home residents for long-term care comprehensive geriatric self-assessment: a feasibility study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Fanpin; Chang, Polun; Hou, I-Ching; Tu, Ming-Hsiang; Lan, Chung-Fu

    2015-01-01

    Long-term-care comprehensive geriatric assessments, such as the Minimum Data Set 3.0, are used to evaluate the clinical, psychological, and personal status of residents in long-term-care nursing facilities. Nursing staff conducts assessment interviews, thereby increasing the workload of nurses and the cost of patient care. This study explored the ability of nursing home residents to use two different mobile devices for a geriatric self-assessment. Study participants were residents of long-term-care nursing homes. A modified Minimum Data Set 3.0 was converted to a format for use with a 6-inch mobile pad and a 3.7-inch mobile smartphone. The survey completion rate and the response time were measured. A Technology Assessment Model questionnaire analyzed the participants' experience. All participants were able to use a 6-inch pad, with an average completion rate of 92.9% and an average time for completion of 21 minutes. Only 20% of the participants could complete the assessment with the 3.7-inch smartphone. The participants found the 6-inch pad easier to use than the 3.7-inch smartphone. This exploratory study suggests that nursing home residents are able to use a mobile device to perform a geriatric self-assessment and delineates the importance of the ergonomics of the device.

  1. Self-healing effect of the protective inhibitor-containing coatings on Mg alloys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gnedenkov, A. S.; Sinebryukhov, S. L.; Mashtalyar, D. V.; Gnedenkov, S. V.

    2017-09-01

    The method of self-healing coating formation on the surface of magnesium alloys on the base of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) with subsequent impregnation of the obtained layer with inhibitor has been suggested. The protective and electrochemical properties of such coatings have been described. Localised Scanning Electrochemical Methods were used for determining the kinetics and mechanism of the self-healing process. The treatment with the solution containing inhibitor enables us to increase the protective properties of the PEO-coating in 30 times in the corrosion-active environment.

  2. Self-assembling bubble carriers for oral protein delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chuang, Er-Yuan; Lin, Kun-Ju; Lin, Po-Yen; Chen, Hsin-Lung; Wey, Shiaw-Pyng; Mi, Fwu-Long; Hsiao, Hsu-Chan; Chen, Chiung-Tong; Sung, Hsing-Wen

    2015-09-01

    Successful oral delivery of therapeutic proteins such as insulin can greatly improve the quality of life of patients. This study develops a bubble carrier system by loading diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) dianhydride, a foaming agent (sodium bicarbonate; SBC), a surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate; SDS), and a protein drug (insulin) in an enteric-coated gelatin capsule. Following oral administration to diabetic rats, the intestinal fluid that has passed through the gelatin capsule saturates the mixture; concomitantly, DTPA dianhydride produces an acidic environment, while SBC decomposes to form CO2 bubbles at acidic pH. The gas bubbles grow among the surfactant molecules (SDS) owing to the expansion of the generated CO2. The walls of the CO2 bubbles consist of a self-assembled film of water that is in nanoscale and may serve as a colloidal carrier to transport insulin and DTPA. The grown gas bubbles continue to expand until they bump into the wall and burst, releasing their transported insulin, DTPA, and SDS into the mucosal layer. The released DTPA and SDS function as protease inhibitors to protect the insulin molecules as well as absorption enhancers to augment their epithelial permeability and eventual absorption into systemic circulation, exerting their hypoglycemic effects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Nanoparticle bioconjugate for controlled cellular delivery of doxorubicin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sangtani, Ajmeeta; Petryayeva, Eleonora; Wu, Miao; Susumu, Kimihiro; Oh, Eunkeu; Huston, Alan L.; Lasarte-Aragones, Guillermo; Medintz, Igor L.; Algar, W. Russ; Delehanty, James B.

    2018-02-01

    Nanoparticle (NP)-mediated drug delivery offers the potential to overcome limitations of systemic delivery, including the ability to specifically target cargo and control release of NP-associated drug cargo. Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used FDA-approved cancer therapeutic; however, multiple side effects limit its utility. Thus, there is wide interest in modulating toxicity after cell delivery. Our goal here was to realize a NP-based DOX-delivery system that can modulate drug toxicity by controlling the release kinetics of DOX from the surface of a hard NP carrier. To achieve this, we employed a quantum dot (QD) as a central scaffold which DOX was appended via three different peptidyl linkages (ester, disulfide, hydrazone) that are cleavable in response to various intracellular conditions. Attachment of a cell penetrating peptide (CPP) containing a positively charged polyarginine sequence facilitates endocytosis of the ensemble. Polyhistidine-driven metal affinity coordination was used to self-assemble both peptides to the QD surface, allowing for fine control over both the ratio of peptides attached to the QD as well as DOX dose delivered to cells. Microplate-based Förster resonance energy transfer assays confirmed the successful ratiometric assembly of the conjugates and functionality of the linkages. Cell delivery experiments and cytotoxicity assays were performed to compare the various cleavable linkages to a control peptide where DOX is attached through an amide bond. The role played by various attachment chemistries used in QD-peptide-drug assemblies and their implications for the rationale in design of NPbased constructs for drug delivery is described here.

  4. Mobile Commerce and Applications: An Exploratory Study and Review

    OpenAIRE

    Hameed, Khawar; Ahsan, Kamran; Yang, Weijun

    2010-01-01

    Mobile commerce is enabling the development of additional revenue streams for organizations through the delivery of chargeable mobile services. According to the European Information Technology Observatory, the total amount of revenue generated by mobile commerce was reported to be less than {\\pounds}9 million in the United Kingdom in 2001. By 2005 this had, at least, doubled and more recent industry forecasts project significant global growth in this area. Mobile commerce creates a range of b...

  5. Enhancement of oral bioavailability of E804 by self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heshmati, Nasim; Cheng, Xinlai; Eisenbrand, Gerhard; Fricker, Gert

    2013-10-01

    Indirubin and its derivatives have been shown to interrupt the cell cycle by inhibiting cyclin-dependent kinases, explaining their long-time use in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of chronic myelocytic leukemia. A potent derivative of indirubin, indirubin-3'-oxime 2,3-dihydroxypropyl ether (E804), has been shown to block the Src-Stat3 and Src-Stat5 signaling pathway in human cancer cells, inducing apoptosis. The anticancer effects of E804, however, cannot be easily examined in vivo because of its poor water solubility and low absorption. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) containing E804 for enhancing its solubility and bioavailability. Solubility of E804 was determined in various vehicles, and pseudoternary phase diagram was used to evaluate the self-emulsifying existence area. The SNEDDS composed of Capmul MCM (oil), Solutol HS 15 (surfactant), and polyethylene glycol 400 (cosurfactant) on the ratio of 20.5:62.5:16 loaded 1.5% of E804. The particle size of droplets was found to be 16.8 and 140 nm, and SNEDDS was stable after freeze-thaw cycles and upon dilution in HCl 0.1 N and pH 7.4 HBSS++. The ability of formulation for absorption enhancement was studied in rats in vivo after oral administration. The results showed that the developed SNEDDS increased the E804 bioavailability 984.23% compared with the aqueous suspension. Our studies for the first time show that the developed SNEDDS can be used as a possible formulation for E804 to improve its solubility and oral bioavailability. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

  6. Gene Silencing in Skin After Deposition of Self-Delivery siRNA With a Motorized Microneedle Array Device

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robyn P Hickerson

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Despite the development of potent siRNAs that effectively target genes responsible for skin disorders, translation to the clinic has been hampered by inefficient delivery through the stratum corneum barrier and into the live cells of the epidermis. Although hypodermic needles can be used to transport siRNA through the stratum corneum, this approach is limited by pain caused by the injection and the small volume of tissue that can be accessed by each injection. The use of microneedle arrays is a less painful method for siRNA delivery, but restricted payload capacity limits this approach to highly potent molecules. To address these challenges, a commercially available motorized microneedle array skin delivery device was evaluated. This device combines the positive elements of both hypodermic needles and microneedle array technologies with little or no pain to the patient. Application of fluorescently tagged self-delivery (sd-siRNA to both human and murine skin resulted in distribution throughout the treated skin. In addition, efficient silencing (78% average reduction of reporter gene expression was achieved in a transgenic fluorescent reporter mouse skin model. These results indicate that this device effectively delivers functional sd-siRNA with an efficiency that predicts successful clinical translation.

  7. Awareness and Self-Reported Health Hazards of Electromagnetic Waves from Mobile Phone Towers in Dhaka, Bangladesh: A Pilot Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheikh Mohammed Shariful Islam

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Over the last few years there have been concerns regarding the health effects of electromagnetic waves (EMW produced by mobile phone base transmitter stations (BTS. Data on possible health effects of EMW in developing countries are rare. This study was conducted to determine the awareness and self-reported health hazards of EMW from the mobile phone BTS in Dhaka city. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 220 respondents living around BTS in Dhaka city. Data was collected on sociodemographic characteristics, mobile phone use, BTS and EMW awareness, and self-reported health problems. Results. The majority of respondents (92.7% reported to have seen a BTS but only 29.5% knows how it works and 74.5% had no knowledge about the EMW. 49% respondents experienced sleeping disturbances while recent episodes of headache or dizziness were reported by 47% and mood change or anxiety or depression by 41%. About 22% complained about other physical or mental symptoms. Conclusion. Awareness about the possible health hazards from EMW of BTS is low among the inhabitants of Dhaka city. A number of respondents mentioned recent health effects but the association with BTS could not be established.

  8. Self-reported wrist and finger symptoms associated with other physical/mental symptoms and use of computers/mobile phones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korpinen, Leena; Pääkkönen, Rauno; Gobba, Fabriziomaria

    2018-03-01

    Recently, computer, mobile phone and Internet use has increased. This study aimed to determine the possible relation between self-reported wrist and finger symptoms (aches, pain or numbness) and using computers/mobile phones, and to analyze how the symptoms are specifically associated with utilizing desktop computers, portable computers or mini-computers and mobile phones. A questionnaire was sent to 15,000 working-age Finns (age 18-65). Via a questionnaire, 723 persons reported wrist and finger symptoms often or more with use. Over 80% use mobile phones daily and less than 30% use desktop computers or the Internet daily at leisure, e.g., over 89.8% quite often or often experienced pain, numbness or aches in the neck, and 61.3% had aches in the hips and the lower back. Only 33.7% connected their symptoms to computer use. In the future, the development of new devices and Internet services should incorporate the ergonomics of the hands and wrists.

  9. Self-titration by experienced e-cigarette users: blood nicotine delivery and subjective effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dawkins, Lynne E; Kimber, Catherine F; Doig, Mira; Feyerabend, Colin; Corcoran, Olivia

    2016-08-01

    Self-titration is well documented in the tobacco literature. The extent to which e-cigarette users (vapers) self-titrate is unknown. This study explored the effects of high and low nicotine strength liquid on puffing topography, nicotine delivery and subjective effects in experienced vapers. Eleven experienced male vapers completed 60 min of ad libitum vaping under low (6 mg/mL) and high (24 mg/mL) nicotine liquid conditions in two separate sessions. Measurements included puffing topography (puff number, puff duration, volume of liquid consumed) and changes in plasma nicotine levels, craving, withdrawal symptoms, self-reported hit, satisfaction and adverse effects. Liquid consumption and puff number were higher and puff duration longer, in the low nicotine strength condition (all ps < 0.01). The mean difference in nicotine boost from baseline in the low condition was 8.59 (7.52) ng/mL, 16.99 (11.72) ng/mL and 22.03 (16.19) ng/mL at 10, 30 and 60 min, respectively. Corresponding values for the high condition were 33.77 (34.88) ng/mL, 35.48 (28.31) ng/mL and 43.57 (34.78) ng/mL (ps < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between conditions in self-reported craving, withdrawal symptoms, satisfaction, hit or adverse effects. Vapers engaged in compensatory puffing with lower nicotine strength liquid, doubling their consumption. Whilst compensatory puffing was sufficient to reduce craving and withdrawal discomfort, self-titration was incomplete with significantly higher plasma nicotine levels in the high condition.

  10. DESAIN SELF-PROPELLED CAR BARGE UNTUK DISTRIBUSI MOBIL BARU RUTE CIKARANG BEKASI LAUT (CBL – TANJUNG PERAK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bintang Jiwa Jiwa

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Berbagai upaya telah dilakukan Pemerintah untuk dapat mengurangi kemacetan jalur Pantura. Mulai dari pemberian jalur alternatif, pelebaran jalan, hingga pembuatan jalan tol baru. Segala upaya tersebut tidak sebanding dengan jumlah kendaraan yang terus meningkat melewati jalur Pantura, khususnya kendaraan-kendaraan barang seperti truk dan kontainer. Hal ini tidak terlepas dari geliat perekonomian yang terus tumbuh. Kawasan industri otomotif di sekitar Cikarang dan Bekasi salah satu contohnya. Jumlah produksi mobil domestik dan permintaan yang terus meningkat ini membutuhkan sarana yang baik dan cepat dalam mendistribusikan mobil baru ke berbagai daerah. Dalam beberapa tahun ini, Jawa Timur merupakan provinsi dengan tingkat permintaan mobil yang cukup tinggi di Indonesia. Oleh karena itu, salah satu solusi yang ditawarkan untuk dapat mengurangi kemacetan di jalur darat adalah berupa pengalihan transportasi darat ke sungai atau laut. Berdasarkan solusi tersebut, maka dibutuhkan alat transportasi pengangkut barang, dalam hal ini mobil, yang dapat melewati sungai dan laut. Self-propelled car barge diharapkan mampu menjadi inovasi yang cukup baik dalam mendistribusikan barang melalui rute Sungai Cikarang Bekasi Laut (CBL menuju ke Pelabuhan Tanjung Perak. Untuk mendapatkan ukuran utama yang optimum digunakan metode optimation design approach dengan bantuan fitur solver pada program Microsoft Excel dengan menjadikan biaya pembangunan paling minimum sebagai fungsi objektif, serta adanya batasan-batasan dari persyaratan teknis dan regulasi yang ada. Dari proses optimisasi, didapatkan ukuran utama optimum Self-Propelled Car Barge adalah L=53.10 m, B=15.17 m, TFW=3.09 m, TSW=3.02 m, dan H=4.66 m, dengan estimasi biaya pembangunan sebesar $1.435.270,56 atau setara Rp.19.281.424.757,10.

  11. Defective Proteasome Delivery of Polyubiquitinated Proteins by Ubiquilin-2 Proteins Containing ALS Mutations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lydia Chang

    Full Text Available Ubiquilin proteins facilitate delivery of ubiquitinated proteins to the proteasome for degradation. Interest in the proteins has been heightened by the discovery that gene mutations in UBQLN2 cause dominant inheritance of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS. However, the mechanisms by which the mutations cause ALS are not known. Here we report on the underlying defect of ubiquilin-2 proteins containing ALS-linked mutations in affecting proteasome-mediated degradation. We found that overexpression of ubiquilin-2 proteins containing any one of five different ALS mutations slow degradation of Myc, a prototypic proteasome substrate. Examination of coprecipitating proteins indicated that the mutant proteins are generally capable of binding polyubiquitinated proteins, but defective in binding the proteasome. GST-pulldown studies revealed that many of the mutants bind weaker to the S5a subunit of the proteasome, compared with wild type (WT ubiquilin-2 protein. The results suggest the mutant proteins are unable to deliver their captured cargo to the proteasome for degradation, which presumably leads to toxicity. Quantification of cell death is consistent with this idea. Measurement of protein turnover further indicated the mutant proteins have longer half-lives than WT ubiquilin-2. Our studies provide novel insight into the mechanism by which ALS-linked mutations in UBQLN2 interfere with protein degradation.

  12. Mobility and emotions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Selmer, Jan; Lauring, Jakob

    2014-01-01

    Increasing global mobility has directed attention to the self-initiated relocation of workers from one country to another. However, not all individuals are equally suited to start up a new life in another country, and self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) could be particularly vulnerable due to havin...

  13. Using mixed methods to assess fidelity of delivery and its influencing factors in a complex self-management intervention for people with osteoarthritis and low back pain.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Toomey, Elaine

    2017-08-04

    Despite an increasing awareness of the importance of fidelity of delivery within complex behaviour change interventions, it is often poorly assessed. This mixed methods study aimed to establish the fidelity of delivery of a complex self-management intervention and explore the reasons for these findings using a convergent\\/triangulation design.

  14. Self-stabilizing Synchronization in Mobile Sensor Networks with Covering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beauquier, Joffroy; Burman, Janna

    Synchronization is widely considered as an important service in distributed systems which may simplify protocol design. Phase clock is a general synchronization tool that provides a form of a logical time. This paper presents a self-stabilizing (a tolerating state-corrupting transient faults) phase clock algorithm suited to the model of population protocols with covering. This model has been proposed recently for sensor networks with a very large, possibly unknown number of anonymous mobile agents having small memory. Agents interact in pairs in an asynchronous way subject to the constraints expressed in terms of the cover times of agents. The cover time expresses the "frequency" of an agent to communicate with all the others and abstracts agent's communication characteristics (e.g. moving speed/patterns, transmitting/receiving capabilities). We show that a phase clock is impossible in the model with only constant-state agents. Hence, we assume an existence of resource-unlimited agent - the base station.

  15. Improved overall delivery documentation following implementation of a standardized shoulder dystocia delivery form

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moragianni, Vasiliki A.; Hacker, Michele R.; Craparo, Frank J.

    2013-01-01

    Objective Our objective was to evaluate whether using a standardized shoulder dystocia delivery form improved documentation. A standardized delivery form was added to our institution’s obstetrical record in August 2003. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted comparing 100 vaginal deliveries complicated by shoulder dystocia before, and 81 after implementation of the standardized delivery form. The two groups were compared in terms of obstetric characteristics, neonatal outcomes and documentation components. Results Charts that included the standardized delivery form were more likely to contain documentation of estimated fetal weight (82.7% vs. 39.0% without the form, Pdystocia, and second stage duration. Conclusions Inclusion of a standardized form in the delivery record improves the rate of documentation of both shoulder dystocia-specific and general delivery components. PMID:22017330

  16. Printed indium gallium zinc oxide transistors. Self-assembled nanodielectric effects on low-temperature combustion growth and carrier mobility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Everaerts, Ken; Zeng, Li; Hennek, Jonathan W; Camacho, Diana I; Jariwala, Deep; Bedzyk, Michael J; Hersam, Mark C; Marks, Tobin J

    2013-11-27

    Solution-processed amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOSs) are emerging as important electronic materials for displays and transparent electronics. We report here on the fabrication, microstructure, and performance characteristics of inkjet-printed, low-temperature combustion-processed, amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) grown on solution-processed hafnia self-assembled nanodielectrics (Hf-SANDs). TFT performance for devices processed below 300 °C includes >4× enhancement in electron mobility (μFE) on Hf-SAND versus SiO2 or ALD-HfO2 gate dielectrics, while other metrics such as subthreshold swing (SS), current on:off ratio (ION:IOFF), threshold voltage (Vth), and gate leakage current (Ig) are unchanged or enhanced. Thus, low voltage IGZO/SAND TFT operation (IGZO combustion processing leaves the underlying Hf-SAND microstructure and capacitance intact. This work establishes the compatibility and advantages of all-solution, low-temperature fabrication of inkjet-printed, combustion-derived high-mobility IGZO TFTs integrated with self-assembled hybrid organic-inorganic nanodielectrics.

  17. Engagement in mobile phone app for self-monitoring of emotional wellbeing predicts changes in mental health: MoodPrism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakker, David; Rickard, Nikki

    2018-02-01

    Mobile apps are being used increasingly for mental health purposes, but evidence of their efficacy remains limited. The mechanisms underlying any effects of such apps are also unclear. This study examined the effectiveness of a self-monitoring mobile phone app by investigating the relationships between app engagement and mental health outcomes. Participants downloaded the MoodPrism app from the iOS and Android app stores, completing in-app assessments at start of use and again 30days later. The app prompted participants daily to complete a short mood questionnaire and formulated their responses into a mood diary. Data from 234 assessment completers (73% female; M age = 34.8 years) were analysed via hierarchical and mediation regressions. In this community sample, app engagement ratings predicted decreases in depression and anxiety, and increases in mental well-being. These effects were mediated by increases in emotional self-awareness, but only for participants who were clinically depressed or anxious at the time of the baseline assessment. Mental health literacy and coping self-efficacy did not play mediating roles. Findings suggest that other influential mediators may have not been measured, and future studies could verify the findings by using alternative methodologies, such as comparison with a control group. Engaging with an emotional wellbeing self-monitoring app may reduce depressive and anxious symptoms, and increase mental well-being. Increases in emotional self-awareness may mediate these changes in clinical populations, and further research is needed to reveal other mechanisms that mental health apps can utilize. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Quantitative analysis of self-association and mobility of annexin A4 at the plasma membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crosby, Kevin C; Postma, Marten; Hink, Mark A; Zeelenberg, Christiaan H C; Adjobo-Hermans, Merel J W; Gadella, Theodorus W J

    2013-05-07

    Annexins, found in most eukaryotic species, are cytosolic proteins that are able to bind negatively-charged phospholipids in a calcium-dependent manner. Annexin A4 (AnxA4) has been implicated in diverse cellular processes, including the regulation of exocytosis and ion-transport; however, its precise mechanistic role is not fully understood. AnxA4 has been shown to aggregate on lipid layers upon Ca(2+) binding in vitro, a characteristic that may be critical for its function. We have utilized advanced fluorescence microscopy to discern details on the mobility and self-assembly of AnxA4 after Ca(2+) influx at the plasma membrane in living cells. Total internal reflection microscopy in combination with Förster resonance energy transfer reveals that there is a delay between initial plasma membrane binding and the beginning of self-assembly and this process continues after the cytoplasmic pool has completely relocated. Number-and-brightness analysis suggests that the predominant membrane bound mobile form of the protein is trimeric. There also exists a pool of AnxA4 that forms highly immobile aggregates at the membrane. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching suggests that the relative proportion of these two forms varies and is correlated with membrane morphology. Copyright © 2013 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Effects of line dancing on physical function and perceived limitation in older adults with self-reported mobility limitations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennett, Crystal G; Hackney, Madeleine E

    2018-06-01

    Older adults with mobility limitations are at greater risk for aging-related declines in physical function. Line dancing is a popular form of exercise that can be modified, and is thus feasible for older adults with mobility limitations. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of 8 weeks of line dancing on balance, muscle strength, lower extremity function, endurance, gait speed, and perceived mobility limitations. An experimental design randomly assigned older adults to either an 8-week line dancing or usual care group. The convenience sample consisted of 23 participants with mobility limitations (age range: 65-93 years). The intervention used simple routines from novice line dance classes. At baseline and at 8 weeks, balance, knee muscle strength, lower extremity function, endurance, gait speed, and mobility limitations were measured. ANCOVA tests were conducted on each dependent variable to assess the effects of the intervention over time. Results found significant positive differences for the intervention group in lower extremity function (p dancing significantly improved physical function and reduced self-reported mobility limitations in these individuals. Line dancing could be recommended by clinicians as a potential adjunct therapy that addresses mobility limitations. Implications for Rehabilitation Line dancing may be an alternative exercise for older adults who need modifications due to mobility limitations. Line dancing incorporates cognitive and motor control. Line dancing can be performed alone or in a group setting. Dancing improves balance which can reduce risk of falls.

  20. Accessing best practice resources using mobile technology in an undergraduate nursing program: a feasibility study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mann, Elizabeth G; Medves, Jennifer; Vandenkerkhof, Elizabeth G

    2015-03-01

    Mobile technology presents new opportunities for nursing education and ultimately the provision of nursing care. The aim of this study was to explore the utility of mobile technology in undergraduate nursing education. In this evaluation study, undergraduate nursing students were provided with iPod Touch devices containing best practice guidelines. Computer self-efficacy was assessed, and the Theory of Planned Behavior was used to identify potential predictors of the use of mobile technology. Questionnaires were completed at baseline (n = 33) and postimplementation (n = 23). Feedback on feasibility issues was recorded throughout the study period. Students generally found the devices useful, and few technical problems were identified; however, lack of skill in using the devices and lack of support from staff in the clinical setting were commonly identified issues. Self-efficacy scores were high throughout the study. Attitudes, perceptions of the desirability of use, perceived personal control over use, and intentions of using the device were lower postimplementation than at baseline. Attitude toward the technology predicted intention to use the device after graduation. Mobile technology may promote evidence-informed practice; however, supporting students' acquisition of related skills may optimize use. Successful integration of mobile technology into practice requires attention to factors that affect student attitudes.

  1. The Pattern of Mobile Phone Use and Prevalence of Self-Reported Symptoms in Elementary and Junior High School Students in Shiraz, Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mortazavi, Seyed Mohammad Javad; Atefi, Mohammad; Kholghi, Fatemeh

    2011-01-01

    Background: The use of mobile phone by children is increasing drastically. Children are likely to accumulate many years of exposure during their lives. Furthermore, as nervous systems in children are developing, children may be at a greater risk compared to adults. In this light, some scientists have suggested that the use of mobile phones should be restricted in high-risk groups such as children. This study is an attempt to explore the pattern of mobile phone use and its health effects among students from the city of Shiraz, Iran. Methods: A total of 469 (235 males and 234 females; 250 elementary and 219 junior high school) healthy students participated in this study. The students were randomly selected from three different educational districts of the city. For each student, a questionnaire regarding the possible sources of exposure to electromagnetic fields or microwave radiation, specially the pattern of mobile phone use, medical history and life style was filled out by interviewers. Results: Only 31.42% of the students used to use mobile phones. The average daily time of using mobile phones in talk mode was 7.08±21.42 minutes. Not only the relative frequency of mobile phone ownership in boys was significantly more than the girls, but also the boys used their mobile phones more frequently. Statistically significant associations were found between the time mobile phones were used in talk mode and some symptoms. Furthermore, a statistically significant association was found between the time mobile phones were used in talk mode and the number of headaches per month, number of vertigo per month, or number of sleeping problem per month. Conclusion: Results obtained in this study show that a large proportion of children in the city of Shiraz use mobile phones. A significant increase was found in some self-reported symptoms among users of mobile phones. These findings are in line with what is widely believed regarding the higher vulnerability of children to exhibit

  2. The pattern of mobile phone use and prevalence of self-reported symptoms in elementary and junior high school students in shiraz, iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mortazavi, Seyed Mohammad Javad; Atefi, Mohammad; Kholghi, Fatemeh

    2011-06-01

    The use of mobile phone by children is increasing drastically. Children are likely to accumulate many years of exposure during their lives. Furthermore, as nervous systems in children are developing, children may be at a greater risk compared to adults. In this light, some scientists have suggested that the use of mobile phones should be restricted in high-risk groups such as children. This study is an attempt to explore the pattern of mobile phone use and its health effects among students from the city of Shiraz, Iran. A total of 469 (235 males and 234 females; 250 elementary and 219 junior high school) healthy students participated in this study. The students were randomly selected from three different educational districts of the city. For each student, a questionnaire regarding the possible sources of exposure to electromagnetic fields or microwave radiation, specially the pattern of mobile phone use, medical history and life style was filled out by interviewers. Only 31.42% of the students used to use mobile phones. The average daily time of using mobile phones in talk mode was 7.08±21.42 minutes. Not only the relative frequency of mobile phone ownership in boys was significantly more than the girls, but also the boys used their mobile phones more frequently. Statistically significant associations were found between the time mobile phones were used in talk mode and some symptoms. Furthermore, a statistically significant association was found between the time mobile phones were used in talk mode and the number of headaches per month, number of vertigo per month, or number of sleeping problem per month. RESULTS obtained in this study show that a large proportion of children in the city of Shiraz use mobile phones. A significant increase was found in some self-reported symptoms among users of mobile phones. These findings are in line with what is widely believed regarding the higher vulnerability of children to exhibit symptoms from using mobile phones. The

  3. The Pattern of Mobile Phone Use and Prevalence of Self-Reported Symptoms in Elementary and Junior High School Students in Shiraz, Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seyed Mohammad Javad Mortazavi

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: The use of mobile phone by children is increasing drastically. Children are likely to accumulate many years of exposure during their lives. Furthermore, as nervous systems in children are developing, children may be at a greater risk compared to adults. In this light, some scientists have suggested that the use of mobile phones should be restricted in high-risk groups such as children. This study is an attempt to explore the pattern of mobile phone use and its health effects among students from the city of Shiraz, Iran. Methods: A total of 469 (235 males and 234 females; 250 elementary and 219 junior high school healthy students participated in this study. The students were randomly selected from three different educational districts of the city. For each student, a questionnaire regarding the possible sources of exposure to electromagnetic fields or microwave radiation, specially the pattern of mobile phone use, medical history and life style was filled out by interviewers. Results: Only 31.42% of the students used to use mobile phones. The average daily time of using mobile phones in talk mode was 7.08±21.42 minutes. Not only the relative frequency of mobile phone ownership in boys was significantly more than the girls, but also the boys used their mobile phones more frequently. Statistically significant associations were found between the time mobile phones were used in talk mode and some symptoms. Furthermore, a statistically significant association was found between the time mobile phones were used in talk mode and the number of headaches per month, number of vertigo per month, or number of sleeping problem per month. Conclusion: Results obtained in this study show that a large proportion of children in the city of Shiraz use mobile phones. A significant increase was found in some self-reported symptoms among users of mobile phones. These findings are in line with what is widely believed regarding the higher vulnerability of

  4. Self-double-emulsifying drug delivery system (SDEDDS): a new way for oral delivery of drugs with high solubility and low permeability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, Xiaole; Wang, Lishuang; Zhu, Jiabi; Hu, Zhenyi; Zhang, Jie

    2011-05-16

    Water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) double emulsions are potential for enhancing oral bioavailability of drugs with high solubility and low permeability, but their industrial application is limited due to the instability. Herein, we developed a novel formulation, self-double-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SDEDDS) by formulating mixtures of hydrophilic surfactants and water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions, which were easier to be stable through formulations optimization. SDEDDS can spontaneously emulsify to water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) double emulsions in the mixed aqueous gastrointestinal environment, with drugs encapsulated in the internal water phase of the double emulsions. We employed SDEDDS to improve the oral absorption of pidotimod, a peptide-like drug with high solubility and low permeability. The optimized pidotimod-SDEDDS were found to be stable up to 6 months under 25°C. Plasma concentration-time profiles from pharmacokinetic studies in rats dosed with SDEDDS showed 2.56-fold (p<0.05) increased absorption of pidotimod, compared to the pidotimod solution. Histopathologic studies confirmed that SDEDDS exerted absorption promoting effect without serious local damages. These studies demonstrate that SDEDDS may be a promising strategy for peroral delivery of peptide and peptidomimetic drugs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Self-Nanoemulsifying Lyophilized Tablets for Flash Oral Transmucosal Delivery of Vitamin K: Development and Clinical Evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Say, Khalid M; Ahmed, Tarek A; Ahmed, Osama A A; Hosny, Khaled M; Abd-Allah, Fathy I

    2017-09-01

    Owing to limited solubility, vitamin K undergoes low bioavailability with large inter-individual variability after oral administration. This article aimed to prepare self-nanoemulsifying lyophilized tablets (SNELTs) for the flash oral transmucosal delivery of vitamin K. Twenty-one formulae of vitamin K self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) were prepared using different concentrations of vitamin K, Labrasol, and Transcutol according to mixture design. The SNEDDS was loaded on porous carriers and formulated as lyophilized tablets. The release profile and the pharmacokinetic parameters of vitamin K SNELTs were evaluated in comparison with commercial tablets and ampoules on human volunteers. Results revealed that the optimized SNEDDS showed the smallest and most stable nanoemulsion globules. SNELTs were prepared successfully and showed substantial superiority drug release compared with the commercial tablets. Interestingly, SNELTs enhanced both rate and extent of vitamin K absorption as well as relative bioavailability (169.67%) in healthy subjects compared with the commercial tablets. SNELTs revealed promising no significant difference in the area under the curve compared with the commercial intramuscular injection. SNELTs enhanced dissolution and bioavailability that expected to have the strong impact on the efficiency of vitamin K in the prophylaxis and treatment of bleeding disorders in patients with hepatic dysfunction. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Energetics of formation and migration of self-interstitials and self-interstitial clusters in α-iron

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wirth, B.D.; Odette, G.R.; California Univ., Santa Barbara, CA; Maroudas, D.; Lucas, G.E.; California Univ., Santa Barbara, CA

    1997-01-01

    Energetic primary recoil atoms from fast neutron irradiation generate both isolated point defects and clusters of vacancies and interstitials. Self-interstitial mobility as well as defect cluster stability and mobility play key roles in the subsequent fate of defects and, hence, in the overall microstructural evolution under irradiation. Self-interstitials and two, three and four-member self-interstitial clusters are highly mobile at low temperatures as observed in molecular-dynamics simulations and high mobility probably also extends to larger clusters. In this study, the morphology, energetics and mobility of self-interstitials and small self-interstitial clusters in α-iron are studied by molecular-statics and molecular-dynamics simulations using a Finnis-Sinclair many-body interatomic potential. Self-interstitial migration is found to be a two-step process consisting of a rotation out of the split-dumbbell configuration into the split-dumbbell configuration and translational jumps through the crowdion configuration before returning to the dumbbell configuration. Self-interstitial clusters of type split-interstitials assembled on adjacent {110} planes migrate along directions in an amoeba-like fashion by sequential local dissociation and re-association processes. (orig.)

  7. 47 CFR 64.1200 - Delivery restrictions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... Advertising § 64.1200 Delivery restrictions. (a) No person or entity may: (1) Initiate any telephone call... telephone service, specialized mobile radio service, or other radio common carrier service, or any service... expect them to be included given the identification of the caller and the product being advertised. (6...

  8. Self-assembled nanocomplexes of anionic pullulan and polyallylamine for DNA and pH-sensitive intracellular drug delivery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vora, Lalit; Tyagi, Monica; Patel, Ketan; Gupta, Sanjay; Vavia, Pradeep

    2014-01-01

    The amalgamation of chemotherapy and gene therapy is promising treatment option for cancer. In this study, novel biocompatible self-assembled nanocomplexes (NCs) between carboxylmethylated pullulan t335 (CMP) with polyallylamine (CMP–PAA NCs) were developed for plasmid DNA (pDNA) and pH-sensitive doxorubicin (DOX) delivery. DOX was conjugated to CMP (DOX–CMP) via hydrazone and confirmed by FTIR and 1 H-NMR. In vitro release studies of pH-sensitive DOX–CMP conjugate showed 23 and 85 % release after 48 h at pH 7.4 (physiological pH) and pH 5 (intracellular/tumoral pH), respectively. The CMP–PAA NCs or DOX–CMP–PAA NCs self-assembled into a nanosized (<250 nm) spherical shape as confirmed by DLS and TEM. The hemolysis and cytotoxicity study indicated that the CMP–PAA NCs did not show cytotoxicity in comparison with plain polyallylamine. Gel retardation assay showed complete binding of pDNA with CMP–PAA NCs at 1:2 weight ratio. CMP–PAA NCs/pDNA showed significantly higher transfection in HEK293 cells compared to PAA/pDNA complexes. Confocal imaging demonstrated successful cellular uptake of DOX–CMP–PAA NCs in HEK293 cells. Thus, NCs hold great potential for targeted pDNA and pH-sensitive intratumoral drug delivery

  9. Protein nanoparticles for therapeutic protein delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrera Estrada, L P; Champion, J A

    2015-06-01

    Therapeutic proteins can face substantial challenges to their activity, requiring protein modification or use of a delivery vehicle. Nanoparticles can significantly enhance delivery of encapsulated cargo, but traditional small molecule carriers have some limitations in their use for protein delivery. Nanoparticles made from protein have been proposed as alternative carriers and have benefits specific to therapeutic protein delivery. This review describes protein nanoparticles made by self-assembly, including protein cages, protein polymers, and charged or amphipathic peptides, and by desolvation. It presents particle fabrication and delivery characterization for a variety of therapeutic and model proteins, as well as comparison of the features of different protein nanoparticles.

  10. Institutional delivery service utilization and associated factors among women of reproductive age in the mobile pastoral community of the Liban District in Guji Zone, Oromia, Southern Ethiopia: a cross sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wako, Wako Golicha; Kassa, Dejene Hailu

    2017-05-15

    Globally, an estimated 289,000 maternal deaths occurred in 2013. Majority of these deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. Mobility of pastoralists is a well-recognized survival strategy in arid and semi-arid land of sub-Saharan Africa. However governments often encourage settlement as a solution to the difficulty of providing health services for mobile pastoralists. This study aimed to assess utilization of institutional delivery and associated factors among women of reproductive age in the mobile pastoral community of the Liban District in Guji zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. A Community based cross-sectional survey was conducted among the mobile pastoralist community of the Liban District. Seven hundred ninety-one (791) randomly selected women, who had birth within the last 2 years preceding the survey, were interviewed using a pretested structured questionnaire. Data were entered into Epi-Info version 3.5.4 and analyzed by Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 16. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were done. Out of 791 women who gave birth within the last 2 years preceding the survey, only 110 (13.9%) gave birth in health institutions. Majority (74.1%) of the women gave birth at their home. Ninety-one women (11.5%) gave birth at traditional birth attendant's home; assisted by traditional birth attendants. Multiple logistic regression shows that women who had readily available cash at the onset of labor (aOR 2.79, 95% CI: 1.29-6.25), delivered the birth preceding the most recent birth in a health institution (aOR 6.8, 95% CI: 3.44-13.45) and had birth related complications during the birth preceding the most recent birth (aOR 1.90, 95% CI: 1.08-3.36) were more likely to deliver at health institutions. Majority of the pastoral women seek institutional delivery, only when labor related complications are perceived. Mechanisms of alleviating indirect health care costs affecting institutional delivery need to be addressed in future studies.

  11. Enabling Routes as Context in Mobile Services

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brilingaite, Agne; Jensen, Christian Søndergaard; Zokaite, Nora

    2004-01-01

    With the continuing advances in wireless communications, geo-positioning, and portable electronics, an infrastructure is emerging that enables the delivery of on-line, location-enabled services to very large numbers of mobile users. A typical usage situation for mobile services is one characterized...... by a small screen and no keyboard, and by the service being only a secondary focus of the user. It is therefore particularly important to deliver the "right" information and service at the right time, with as little user interaction as possible. This may be achieved by making services context aware.Mobile...

  12. Diabetes self-management education and support delivered by mobile health (m-health) interventions for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boels, Anne Meike; Vos, Rimke C.; Metzendorf, Maria-Inti; Rutten, Guy E.H.M.

    2017-01-01

    This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of diabetes self-management education and support delivered by mobile health interventions in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

  13. Growth of rat dorsal root ganglion neurons on a novel self-assembling scaffold containing IKVAV sequence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zou Zhenwei; Zheng Qixin [Department of Orthopaedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical college of Huazhong University of science and technology, Wuhan, 430022 (China); Wu Yongchao, E-mail: wuyongchao@hotmail.com [Department of Orthopaedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical college of Huazhong University of science and technology, Wuhan, 430022 (China); Song Yulin; Wu Bin [Department of Orthopaedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical college of Huazhong University of science and technology, Wuhan, 430022 (China)

    2009-08-31

    The potential benefits of self-assembly in synthesizing materials for the treatment of both peripheral and central nervous system disorders are tremendous. In this study, we synthesized peptide-amphiphile (PA) molecules containing IKVAV sequence and induced self-assembly of the PA solutions in vitro to form nanofiber gels. Then, we tested the characterization of gels by transmission electron microscopy and demonstrated the biocompatibility of this gel towards rat dorsal root ganglion neurons. The nanofiber gel was formed by self-assembly of IKVAV PA molecules, which was triggered by metal ions. The fibers were 7-8 nm in diameter and with lengths of hundreds of nanometers. Gels were shown to be non-toxic to neurons and able to promote neurons adhesion and neurite sprouting. The results indicated that the self-assembling scaffold containing IKVAV sequence had excellent biocompatibility with adult sensory neurons and could be useful in nerve tissue engineering.

  14. A novel folate-modified self-microemulsifying drug delivery system of curcumin for colon targeting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang L

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Lin Zhang1*, Weiwei Zhu2*, Chunfen Yang1, Hongxia Guo1, Aihua Yu1, Jianbo Ji3, Yan Gao1, Min Sun1, Guangxi Zhai11Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, College of Pharmacy, Shandong University, Jinan; 2Department of Pharmacy, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai; 3Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Shandong University, Jinan, China*These authors contributed equally to the workBackground: The objective of this study was to prepare, characterize, and evaluate a folate-modified self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (FSMEDDS with the aim to improve the solubility of curcumin and its delivery to the colon, facilitating endocytosis of FSMEDDS mediated by folate receptors on colon cancer cells.Methods: Ternary phase diagrams were constructed in order to obtain the most efficient self-emulsification region, and the formulation of curcumin-loaded SMEDDS was optimized by a simplex lattice experiment design. Then, three lipophilic folate derivatives (folate-polyethylene glycol-distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine, folate-polyethylene glycol-cholesteryl hemisuccinate, and folate-polyethylene glycol-cholesterol used as a surfactant were added to curcumin-loaded SMEDDS formulations. An in situ colon perfusion method in rats was used to optimize the formulation of FSMEDDS. Curcumin-loaded FSMEDDS was then filled into colon-targeted capsules and the in vitro release was investigated. Cytotoxicity studies and cellular uptake studies was used in this research.Results: The optimal formulation of FSMEDDS obtained with the established in situ colon perfusion method in rats was comprised of 57.5% Cremophor® EL, 32.5% Transcutol® HP, 10% Capryol™ 90, and a small amount of folate-polyethylene glycol-cholesteryl hemisuccinate (the weight ratio of folate materials to Cremophor EL was 1:100. The in vitro release results indicated that the obtained formulation of curcumin could reach the colon efficiently and release the drug immediately. Cellular

  15. Responsive Boronic Acid-Decorated (Co)polymers: From Glucose Sensors to Autonomous Drug Delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vancoillie, Gertjan; Hoogenboom, Richard

    2016-10-19

    Boronic acid-containing (co)polymers have fascinated researchers for decades, garnering attention for their unique responsiveness toward 1,2- and 1,3-diols, including saccharides and nucleotides. The applications of materials that exert this property are manifold including sensing, but also self-regulated drug delivery systems through responsive membranes or micelles. In this review, some of the main applications of boronic acid containing (co)polymers are discussed focusing on the role of the boronic acid group in the response mechanism. We hope that this summary, which highlights the importance and potential of boronic acid-decorated polymeric materials, will inspire further research within this interesting field of responsive polymers and polymeric materials.

  16. EV-GHG Mobile Source

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The EV-GHG Mobile Source Data asset contains measured mobile source GHG emissions summary compliance information on light-duty vehicles, by model, for certification...

  17. Self-Directed Engagement with a Mobile App (Sinasprite) and Its Effects on Confidence in Coping Skills, Depression, and Anxiety: Retrospective Longitudinal Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva Almodovar, Armando; Surve, Swatee; Axon, David Rhys; Cooper, David; Nahata, Milap C

    2018-03-16

    Inadequacies in mental health care coverage remain an enormous problem in the United States. Barriers include scarcity of accessible mental health care professionals. Use of a mental health mobile app incorporating social cognitive theory may help improve confidence in coping skills and improve anxiety and depression. Sinasprite is a mobile app that recruited users via self-referral and clinician referral. Users completed questionnaires to obtain demographic and medical histories. At baseline and 6-week follow-up, users completed the Patient Health Questionnaire 8 (PHQ-8), General Anxiety Disorder 7-Item (GAD-7), and the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSE). It is unknown how self-directed use of a mobile app improves confidence in coping skills and its effects on self-reported depression and anxiety. The objective of this study was to evaluate the Sinasprite database to assess self-directed engagement and how use of this mobile app impacted self-reported confidence in coping skills and severity of depression and anxiety. This retrospective longitudinal study involved users recruited via clinician referral and self-referral through social media and news media. Questionnaires were used to record demographic, medical, and prescription medication histories. Mental health status was assessed via PHQ-8, GAD-7, and CSE questionnaires. A deidentified dataset reporting mobile app use data was provided to investigators. Individuals with verifiable usage data and at least one completed questionnaire at 6 weeks of use were included. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to assess whether demographic data and psychotherapy were related to baseline questionnaire scores and usage. A Spearman rho (ρ) test was used to assess the relationship between improvement in the CSE and GAD-7 and PHQ-8 questionnaires. Changes in mental health status were assessed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. A mixed-effects repeated-measures linear regression model assessed the main effects of

  18. Device Data Protection in Mobile Healthcare Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weerasinghe, Dasun; Rajarajan, Muttukrishnan; Rakocevic, Veselin

    The rapid growth in mobile technology makes the delivery of healthcare data and services on mobile phones a reality. However, the healthcare data is very sensitive and has to be protected against unauthorized access. While most of the development work on security of mobile healthcare today focuses on the data encryption and secure authentication in remote servers, protection of data on the mobile device itself has gained very little attention. This paper analyses the requirements and the architecture for a secure mobile capsule, specially designed to protect the data that is already on the device. The capsule is a downloadable software agent with additional functionalities to enable secure external communication with healthcare service providers, network operators and other relevant communication parties.

  19. Sexual health-related information delivery - are patient information leaflets still relevant?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varma, Rick; Chung, Charles; Townsend, Amanda; Power, Melissa

    2016-06-01

    Background Patient information leaflets (PILs) are widely utilised within publically funded sexual health clinics to deliver sexual health-related information (SHRI); however, their continued value to clients in the era of social media is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate clients' opinions on three newly developed PILs and examine client views on other forms of SHRI delivery. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was completed by clients attending the Western Sydney Sexual Health Centre (WSSHC) in 2012. High-risk population (HRP) vs non-high-risk population (non-HRP) views on PILs vs alternative methods of SHRI delivery were analysed by using Mann-Whitney U, Wilcoxon, McNemar and χ(2) tests. Over half (210/315; (67%)) of the consecutive clients from a culturally diverse population completed the survey. Sex workers (SW) and young people (YP) were significantly likely to have a high school education than non-HRP (PInformation Link (SHIL), a state-wide website and telephone line, were ranked significantly higher as a means of SHRI delivery on a Likert scale than newer technologies including Facebook (P<0.001), email (P<0.001), mobile phone applications (P<0.001), TVs in waiting rooms (P<0.001) and business cards (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in opinion between HRP and non-HRP. This study provides evidence for the ongoing use of PILs to deliver SHRI to clinic attendees, in conjunction with other forms of SHRI delivery such as websites and SHIL. Novel methods may require additional consumer engagement and a greater understanding of specific population's needs.

  20. Cost evaluation of reproductive and primary health care mobile service delivery for women in two rural districts in South Africa.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kathryn Schnippel

    Full Text Available Cervical cancer screening is a critical health service that is often unavailable to women in under-resourced settings. In order to expand access to this and other reproductive and primary health care services, a South African non-governmental organization established a van-based mobile clinic in two rural districts in South Africa. To inform policy and budgeting, we conducted a cost evaluation of this service delivery model.The evaluation was retrospective (October 2012-September 2013 for one district and April-September 2013 for the second district and conducted from a provider cost perspective. Services evaluated included cervical cancer screening, HIV counselling and testing, syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs, breast exams, provision of condoms, contraceptives, and general health education. Fixed costs, including vehicle purchase and conversion, equipment, operating costs and mobile clinic staffing, were collected from program records and public sector pricing information. The number of women accessing different services was multiplied by ingredients-based variable costs, reflecting the consumables required. All costs are reported in 2013 USD.Fixed costs accounted for most of the total annual costs of the mobile clinics (85% and 94% for the two districts; the largest contributor to annual fixed costs was staff salaries. Average costs per patient were driven by the total number of patients seen, at $46.09 and $76.03 for the two districts. Variable costs for Pap smears were higher than for other services provided, and some services, such as breast exams and STI and tuberculosis symptoms screening, had no marginal cost.Staffing costs are the largest component of providing mobile health services to rural communities. Yet, in remote areas where patient volumes do not exceed nursing staff capacity, incorporating multiple services within a cervical cancer screening program is an approach to potentially expand access to

  1. Physical and mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete containing superplasticizer and metakaolin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahidan, Shahiron; Tayeh, Bassam A.; Jamaludin, A. A.; Bahari, N. A. A. S.; Mohd, S. S.; Zuki Ali, N.; Khalid, F. S.

    2017-11-01

    The development of concrete technology shows a variety of admixtures in concrete to produce special concrete. This includes the production of self-compacting concrete which is able to fill up all spaces, take formwork shapes and pass through congested reinforcement bars without vibrating or needing any external energy. In this study, the main objective is to compare the physical and mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete containing metakaolin with normal concrete. Four types of samples were produced to study the effect of metakaolin towards the physical and mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete where 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% of metakaolin were used as cement replacement. The physical properties were investigated using slump test for normal concrete and slump flow test for self-compacting concrete. The mechanical properties were tested for compressive strength and tensile strength. The findings of this study show that the inclusion of metakaolin as cement replacement can increase both compressive and tensile strength compared to normal concrete. The highest compressive strength was found in self-compacting concrete with 15% metakaolin replacement at 53.3 MPa while self-compacting concrete with 10% metakaolin replacement showed the highest tensile strength at 3.6 MPa. On top of that, the finishing or concrete surface of both cube and cylinder samples made of self-compacting concrete produced a smooth surface with the appearance of less honeycombs compared to normal concrete.

  2. Novel solid self-emulsifying drug delivery system of coenzyme Q₁₀ with improved photochemical and pharmacokinetic behaviors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onoue, Satomi; Uchida, Atushi; Kuriyama, Kazuki; Nakamura, Tatsuya; Seto, Yoshiki; Kato, Masashi; Hatanaka, Junya; Tanaka, Toshiyuki; Miyoshi, Hiroyuki; Yamada, Shizuo

    2012-08-15

    The present study was undertaken to develop a solid self-emulsifying drug delivery system of coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)/s-SEDDS) with high photostability and oral bioavailability. The CoQ(10)/s-SEDDS was prepared by spray-drying an emulsion preconcentrate containing CoQ(10), medium-chain triglyceride, sucrose ester of fatty acid, and hydroxypropyl cellulose, and its physicochemical, photochemical, and pharmacokinetic properties were evaluated. The CoQ(10)/s-SEDDS powder with a diameter of ca. 15 μm was obtained by spray-drying, in which the CoQ(10) was mostly amorphized. The CoQ(10)/s-SEDDS exhibited immediate self-emulsification when introduced to aqueous media under gentle agitation, forming uniform fine droplets with a mean diameter of ca. 280 nm. There was marked generation of reactive oxygen species, in particular superoxide, from CoQ(10) exposed to simulated sunlight (250W/m(2)), suggesting potent photoreactivity. Nano-emulsified solution of CoQ(10) under light exposure underwent photodegradation with 22-fold higher degradation kinetics than crystalline CoQ(10), although the CoQ(10)/s-SEDDS was less photoreactive. After the oral administration of CoQ(10)/s-SEDDS (100 mg-CoQ(10)/kg) in rats, enhanced exposure of CoQ(10) was observed with increases in both C(max) and AUC of ca. 5-fold in comparison with those of orally administered crystalline CoQ(10). From the improved physicochemical and pharmacokinetic data, the s-SEDDS approach upon spray-drying might be a suitable dosage option for enhancing nutraceutical and pharmaceutical values of CoQ(10). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. A Topic-Driven Modular Approach to Engineering Education Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruba Akram Amarin

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The interactive technical electronic book, TechEBook, currently under development at the University of Central Florida, provides a useful tool for engineers and scientists through unique features compared to the most used traditional electrical circuit textbooks available in the market. TechEBook has comprised the two worlds of classical circuit books and an interactive operating platform that can be run on mobile devices, laptops and desktops utilizing Java Virtual Machine operator. The TechEBook provides an interactive applets screen that holds many modules, in which each had a specific application in the self learning process. In this paper the main goals and objectives behind the MeLearning concept will be identified. The paper will describe the differences between the traditional curriculum delivery and the MeLearning concept in details accompanied by the main tools used and a description of the different modules features.

  4. Protection of Mobile Agents Execution Using a Modified Self-Validating Branch-Based Software Watermarking with External Sentinel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomàs-Buliart, Joan; Fernández, Marcel; Soriano, Miguel

    Critical infrastructures are usually controlled by software entities. To monitor the well-function of these entities, a solution based in the use of mobile agents is proposed. Some proposals to detect modifications of mobile agents, as digital signature of code, exist but they are oriented to protect software against modification or to verify that an agent have been executed correctly. The aim of our proposal is to guarantee that the software is being executed correctly by a non trusted host. The way proposed to achieve this objective is by the improvement of the Self-Validating Branch-Based Software Watermarking by Myles et al.. The proposed modification is the incorporation of an external element called sentinel which controls branch targets. This technique applied in mobile agents can guarantee the correct operation of an agent or, at least, can detect suspicious behaviours of a malicious host during the execution of the agent instead of detecting when the execution of the agent have finished.

  5. Effective approaches to regulate mobile advertising: moving towards a co-ordinated legal, self-regulatory, and technical response

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cleff, Evelyne Beatrix

    2009-01-01

    This article aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse about the issue of privacy in the mobile advertising domain. The article discusses the fundamental principles and information practices used in digital environments for protecting individuals' private data. Major challenges are identified t......, such as legislation, self-regulation and technical approaches. It is intended to promote an effective approach to improve consumer privacy in the mobile advertising domain.......This article aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse about the issue of privacy in the mobile advertising domain. The article discusses the fundamental principles and information practices used in digital environments for protecting individuals' private data. Major challenges are identified...... that should be addressed, so that fair information principles can be applied in the context of m-advertising. It also points out the limitations of these principles. Furthermore, the article discusses a range of models that is available for regulating the collection, use and disclosure of personal data...

  6. Self-assembled Multifunctional DNA Nanoflowers for the Circumvention of Multidrug Resistance in Targeted Anticancer Drug Delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mei, Lei; Zhu, Guizhi; Qiu, Liping; Wu, Cuichen; Chen, Huapei; Liang, Hao; Cansiz, Sena; Lv, Yifan; Zhang, Xiaobing; Tan, Weihong

    2015-11-01

    Cancer chemotherapy has been impeded by side effects and multidrug resistance (MDR) partially caused by drug efflux from cancer cells, which call for targeted drug delivery systems additionally able to circumvent MDR. Here we report multifunctional DNA nanoflowers (NFs) for targeted drug delivery to both chemosensitive and MDR cancer cells and circumvent MDR in both leukemia and breast cancer cell models. NFs are self-assembled via liquid crystallization of DNA generated by Rolling Circle Replication, during which NFs are incorporated with aptamers for specific cancer cell recognition, fluorophores for bioimaging, and Doxorubicin (Dox)-binding DNA for drug delivery. NF sizes are tunable (down to ~200 nm in diameter), and the densely packed drug-binding motifs and porous intrastructures endow NFs with high drug loading capacity (71.4%, wt/wt). The Dox-loaded NFs (NF-Dox) are stable at physiological pH, yet drug release is facilitated in acidic or basic conditions. NFs deliver Dox into target chemosensitive and MDR cancer cells, preventing drug efflux and enhancing drug retention in MDR cells. Consequently, NF-Dox induces potent cytotoxicity in both target chemosensitive cells and MDR cells, but not nontarget cells, thus concurrently circumventing MDR and reducing side effects. Overall, these NFs are promising to circumvent MDR in targeted cancer therapy.

  7. Mobile Cloud Learning for Higher Education: A Case Study of Moodle in the Cloud

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Minjuan; Chen, Yong; Khan, Muhammad Jahanzaib

    2014-01-01

    Mobile cloud learning, a combination of mobile learning and cloud computing, is a relatively new concept that holds considerable promise for future development and delivery in the education sectors. Cloud computing helps mobile learning overcome obstacles related to mobile computing. The main focus of this paper is to explore how cloud computing…

  8. Responsive Boronic Acid-Decorated (Copolymers: From Glucose Sensors to Autonomous Drug Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gertjan Vancoillie

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Boronic acid-containing (copolymers have fascinated researchers for decades, garnering attention for their unique responsiveness toward 1,2- and 1,3-diols, including saccharides and nucleotides. The applications of materials that exert this property are manifold including sensing, but also self-regulated drug delivery systems through responsive membranes or micelles. In this review, some of the main applications of boronic acid containing (copolymers are discussed focusing on the role of the boronic acid group in the response mechanism. We hope that this summary, which highlights the importance and potential of boronic acid-decorated polymeric materials, will inspire further research within this interesting field of responsive polymers and polymeric materials.

  9. Design of Drug Delivery Systems Containing Artemisinin and Its Derivatives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Blessing Atim Aderibigbe

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Artemisinin and its derivatives have been reported to be experimentally effective for the treatment of highly aggressive cancers without developing drug resistance, they are useful for the treatment of malaria, other protozoal infections and they exhibit antiviral activity. However, they are limited pharmacologically by their poor bioavailability, short half-life in vivo, poor water solubility and long term usage results in toxicity. They are also expensive for the treatment of malaria when compared to other antimalarials. In order to enhance their therapeutic efficacy, they are incorporated onto different drug delivery systems, thus yielding improved biological outcomes. This review article is focused on the currently synthesized derivatives of artemisinin and different delivery systems used for the incorporation of artemisinin and its derivatives.

  10. Self-Healing Textile: Enzyme Encapsulated Layer-by-Layer Structural Proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaddes, David; Jung, Huihun; Pena-Francesch, Abdon; Dion, Genevieve; Tadigadapa, Srinivas; Dressick, Walter J; Demirel, Melik C

    2016-08-10

    Self-healing materials, which enable an autonomous repair response to damage, are highly desirable for the long-term reliability of woven or nonwoven textiles. Polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer (LbL) films are of considerable interest as self-healing coatings due to the mobility of the components comprising the film. In this work mechanically stable self-healing films were fabricated through construction of a polyelectrolyte LbL film containing squid ring teeth (SRT) proteins. SRTs are structural proteins with unique self-healing properties and high elastic modulus in both dry and wet conditions (>2 GPa) due to their semicrystalline architecture. We demonstrate LbL construction of multilayers containing native and recombinant SRT proteins capable of self-healing defects. Additionally, we show these films are capable of utilizing functional biomolecules by incorporating an enzyme into the SRT multilayer. Urease was chosen as a model enzyme of interest to test its activity via fluorescence assay. Successful construction of the SRT films demonstrates the use of mechanically stable self-healing coatings, which can incorporate biomolecules for more complex protective functionalities for advanced functional fabrics.

  11. Design and optimization of self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems for improved bioavailability of cyclovirobuxine D

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ke ZC

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Zhongcheng Ke,1–3 Xuefeng Hou,4 Xiao-bin Jia31Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 2Huangshan University, Huangshan, Anhui, 3Third Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 4Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of ChinaBackground: The main purpose of this research was to design a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS for improving the bioavailability of cyclovirobuxine D as a poorly water-soluble drug.Materials and methods: Solubility trials, emulsifying studies, and pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were used to screen the SNEDDS formulations. The optimized drug-loaded SNEDDS was prepared at a mass ratio of 3:24:38:38 for cyclovirobuxine D, oleic acid, Solutol SH15, and propylene glycol, respectively. The optimized formulation was characterized in terms of physicochemical and pharmacokinetic parameters compared with marketed cyclovirobuxine D tablets.Results: The optimized cyclovirobuxine-D-loaded SNEDDS was spontaneously dispersed to form a nanoemulsion with a globule size of 64.80±3.58 nm, which exhibited significant improvement of drug solubility, rapid absorption rate, and enhanced area under the curve, together with increased permeation and decreased efflux. Fortunately, there was a nonsignificant cytotoxic effect toward Caco-2 cells. The relative bioavailability of SNEDDS was 200.22% in comparison with market tablets, in rabbits.Conclusion: SNEDDS could be a potential candidate for an oral dosage form of cyclovirobuxine D with improved bioavailability.Keywords: self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery, bioavailability, cyclovirobuxine D

  12. Self-localization for an autonomous mobile robot based on an omni-directional vision system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiang, Shu-Yin; Lin, Kuang-Yu; Chia, Tsorng-Lin

    2013-12-01

    In this study, we designed an autonomous mobile robot based on the rules of the Federation of International Robotsoccer Association (FIRA) RoboSot category, integrating the techniques of computer vision, real-time image processing, dynamic target tracking, wireless communication, self-localization, motion control, path planning, and control strategy to achieve the contest goal. The self-localization scheme of the mobile robot is based on the algorithms featured in the images from its omni-directional vision system. In previous works, we used the image colors of the field goals as reference points, combining either dual-circle or trilateration positioning of the reference points to achieve selflocalization of the autonomous mobile robot. However, because the image of the game field is easily affected by ambient light, positioning systems exclusively based on color model algorithms cause errors. To reduce environmental effects and achieve the self-localization of the robot, the proposed algorithm is applied in assessing the corners of field lines by using an omni-directional vision system. Particularly in the mid-size league of the RobotCup soccer competition, selflocalization algorithms based on extracting white lines from the soccer field have become increasingly popular. Moreover, white lines are less influenced by light than are the color model of the goals. Therefore, we propose an algorithm that transforms the omni-directional image into an unwrapped transformed image, enhancing the extraction features. The process is described as follows: First, radical scan-lines were used to process omni-directional images, reducing the computational load and improving system efficiency. The lines were radically arranged around the center of the omni-directional camera image, resulting in a shorter computational time compared with the traditional Cartesian coordinate system. However, the omni-directional image is a distorted image, which makes it difficult to recognize the

  13. Supporting the self-management of hypertension: Patients' experiences of using a mobile phone-based system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hallberg, I; Ranerup, A; Kjellgren, K

    2016-02-01

    Globally, hypertension is poorly controlled and its treatment consists mainly of preventive behavior, adherence to treatment and risk-factor management. The aim of this study was to explore patients' experiences of an interactive mobile phone-based system designed to support the self-management of hypertension. Forty-nine patients were interviewed about their experiences of using the self-management system for 8 weeks regarding: (i) daily answers on self-report questions concerning lifestyle, well-being, symptoms, medication intake and side effects; (ii) results of home blood-pressure measurements; (iii) reminders and motivational messages; and (iv) access to a web-based platform for visualization of the self-reports. The audio-recorded interviews were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. The patients considered the self-management system relevant for the follow-up of hypertension and found it easy to use, but some provided insight into issues for improvement. They felt that using the system offered benefits, for example, increasing their participation during follow-up consultations; they further perceived that it helped them gain understanding of the interplay between blood pressure and daily life, which resulted in increased motivation to follow treatment. Increased awareness of the importance of adhering to prescribed treatment may be a way to minimize the cardiovascular risks of hypertension.

  14. Pectin-based colon-specific drug delivery

    OpenAIRE

    Shailendra Shukla; Deepak Jain; Kavita Verma; Shiddarth Verma

    2011-01-01

    Colon-specific drug delivery have a great importance in the delivery of drugs for the treatment of local colonic, as well as systemic diseases like Crohn′s disease, ulcerative colitis, colorectal cancer, amoebiasis, asthma, arthritis and inflammation which can be achieved by targeted delivery of drug to colon. Specific systemic absorption in the colon gave interesting possibilities for the delivery of protein and peptides. It contains relatively less proteolytic enzyme activities in the colon...

  15. A supramolecular strategy for self-mobile adsorption sites in affinity membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Ligang; Dong, Meimei; Liu, Chunyu; Wei, Chenjie; Wang, Yuanyuan; Sun, Hui; Ye, Hui

    2014-09-01

    Disclosed here is the design of a novel supramolecular membrane with self-mobile adsorption sites for biomolecules purification. In the 3D micropore channels of membrane matrix, the ligands are conjugated onto the cyclic compounds in polyrotaxanes for protein adsorption. During membrane filtration, the adsorption sites can rotate and/or slide along the axial chain, which results in the enhanced adsorption capacity. The excellent performance of supra-molecular membrane is related with the dynamic working manner of adsorption sites, which plays a crucial role on avoiding spatial mismatching and short-circuit effect. The supra-molecular strategy described here has general suggestions for the "sites" involved technologies such as catalysis, adsorption, and sensors, which is of broad interest. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Development of self-forming doxorubicin-loaded polymeric depots as an injectable drug delivery system for liver cancer chemotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nittayacharn, Pinunta; Nasongkla, Norased

    2017-07-01

    The objective of this work was to develop self-forming doxorubicin-loaded polymeric depots as an injectable drug delivery system for liver cancer chemotherapy and studied the release profiles of doxorubicin (Dox) from different depot formulations. Tri-block copolymers of poly(ε-caprolactone), poly(D,L-lactide) and poly(ethylene glycol) named PLECs were successfully used as a biodegradable material to encapsulate Dox as the injectable local drug delivery system. Depot formation and encapsulation efficiency of these depots were evaluated. Results show that depots could be formed and encapsulate Dox with high drug loading content. For the release study, drug loading content (10, 15 and 20% w/w) and polymer concentration (25, 30, and 35% w/v) were varied. It could be observed that the burst release occurred within 1-2 days and this burst release could be reduced by physical mixing of hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) into the depot system. The degradation at the surface and cross-section of the depots were examined by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). In addition, cytotoxicity of Dox-loaded depots and blank depots were tested against human liver cancer cell lines (HepG2). Dox released from depots significantly exhibited potent cytotoxic effect against HepG2 cell line compared to that of blank depots. Results from this study reveals an important insight in the development of injectable drug delivery system for liver cancer chemotherapy. Schematic diagram of self-forming doxorubicin-loaded polymeric depots as an injectable drug delivery system and in vitro characterizations. (a) Dox-loaded PLEC depots could be formed with more than 90% of sustained-release Dox at 25% polymer concentration and 20% Dox-loading content. The burst release occurred within 1-2 days and could be reduced by physical mixing of hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) into the depot system. (b) Dox released from depots significantly exhibited potent cytotoxic effect against human

  17. Contributions of hard and soft blocks in the self-healing of metal-ligand-containing block copolymers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bose, Ranjita K.; Enke, Marcel; Grande, Antonio M.; Zechel, Stefan; Schacher, Felix H.; Hager, Martin D.; Garcia, Santiago J.; Schubert, Ulrich S.; van der Zwaag, Sybrand

    2017-01-01

    The main aim of this work is to study the respective contribution of the hard and soft blocks of a metal-ligand containing block copolymer to the self-healing behavior. To this aim, different block copolymers containing terpyridine were synthesized using reversible addition-fragmentation chain

  18. Self-Assembled Smart Nanocarriers for Targeted Drug Delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Wei; Li, Junbai; Decher, Gero

    2016-02-10

    Nanostructured drug-carrier systems promise numerous benefits for drug delivery. They can be engineered to precisely control drug-release rates or to target specific sites within the body with a specific amount of therapeutic agent. However, to achieve the best therapeutic effects, the systems should be designed for carrying the optimum amount of a drug to the desired target where it should be released at the optimum rate for a specified time. Despite numerous attempts, fulfilling all of these requirements in a synergistic way remains a huge challenge. The trend in drug delivery is consequently directed toward integrated multifunctional carrier systems, providing selective recognition in combination with sustained or triggered release. Capsules as vesicular systems enable drugs to be confined for controlled release. Furthermore, carriers modified with recognition groups can enhance the capability of encapsulated drug efficacy. Here, recent advances are reviewed regarding designing and preparing assembled capsules with targeting ligands or size controllable for selective recognition in drug delivery. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Engaging Teens with Asthma in Designing a Patient-Centered Mobile App to Aid Disease Self-Management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Tali; Panzera, Anthony D; Couluris, Marisa; Lindenberger, James; McDermott, Robert; Bryant, Carol A

    2015-08-10

    Despite the growing market of e-health disease self-management tools, few studies have reported the presence of teen patients in all phases of product design. While rates of American teens using mobile Internet grow, an opportunity to deliver disease self-management targeted for teen patients exists. Building on findings from previous investigations with teens with asthma, we explored teens' insights on the development of a patient-centered asthma management application (app). Two existing asthma apps were used by 16 teen asthmatics for 7-10 days. At the end of the trial period, in-depth interviews were conducted with each participant to gather insights about the user experience. Participants requested more asthma-related content that educates them about their condition. Suggested improvements to currently available apps included a longer list of selectable symptoms to track, medication tracking, and more compelling interface features. Participants showed interest in using apps for managing their asthma, yet recommended improvements on current design. Whereas national figures point to a more ubiquitous mobile device environment, implementation efforts must respond to participants' recommendations while minding lingering digital divides. Currently available apps lack appealing components that teens seek or desire. Subsequent development should include teens' participation in component design insights.

  20. Enhancing On-Demand Multicast Routing Protocols using Mobility Prediction in Mobile Ad-hoc Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nermin Makhlouf

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available A Mobile Ad hoc Network (MANET is a self-organizing wireless communication network in which mobile devices are based on no infrastructure like base stations or access points. Minimal configuration and quick deployment make ad hoc networks suitable for emergency situations like disaster recovery or military conflict. Since node mobility may cause links to be broken frequently, a very important issue for routing in MANETs is how to set reliable paths which can last as long as possible. To solve this problem, non-random behaviors for the mobility patterns that mobile users exhibit are exploited. This paper introduces a scheme to improve On-Demand Multicast Routing Protocol (ODMRP performances by using mobility prediction. 

  1. Measuring the emulsification dynamics and stability of self-emulsifying drug delivery systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasconcelos, Teófilo; Marques, Sara; Sarmento, Bruno

    2018-02-01

    Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) are one of the most promising technologies in the drug delivery field, particularly for addressing solubility and bioavailability issues of drugs. The development of these drug carriers excessively relies in visual observations and indirect determinations. The present manuscript intended to describe a method able to measure the emulsification of SEDDS, both micro and nano-emulsions, able to measure the droplet size and to evaluate the physical stability of these formulations. Additionally, a new process to evaluate the physical stability of SEDDS after emulsification was also proposed, based on a cycle of mechanical stress followed by a resting period. The use of a multiparameter continuous evaluation during the emulsification process and stability was of upmost value to understand SEDDS emulsification process. Based on this method, SEDDS were classified as fast and slow emulsifiers. Moreover, emulsification process and stabilization of emulsion was subject of several considerations regarding the composition of SEDDS as major factor that affects stability to physical stress and the use of multicomponent with different properties to develop a stable and robust SEDDS formulation. Drug loading level is herein suggested to impact droplets size of SEDDS after dispersion and SEDDS stability to stress conditions. The proposed protocol allows an online measurement of SEDDS droplet size during emulsification and a rationale selection of excipients based on its emulsification and stabilization performance. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  2. Business Models for NFC based mobile payments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johannes Sang Un Chae

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to develop a business model framework for NFC based mobile payment solutions consisting of four mutually interdepended components: the value service, value network, value architecture, and value finance. Design: Using a comparative case study method, the paper investigates Google Wallet and ISIS Mobile Wallet and their underlying business models. Findings: Google Wallet and ISIS Mobile Wallet are focusing on providing an enhanced customer experience with their mobile wallet through a multifaceted value proposition. The delivery of its offering requires cooperation from multiple stakeholders and the creation of an ecosystem. Furthermore, they focus on the scalability of their value propositions. Originality / value: The paper offers an applicable business model framework that allows practitioners and academics to study current and future mobile payment approaches.

  3. Business Models for NFC Based Mobile Payments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chae, Johannes Sang-Un; Hedman, Jonas

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to develop a business model framework for NFC based mobile payment solutions consisting of four mutually interdepended components: the value service, value network, value architecture, and value finance. Design: Using a comparative case study method, the paper...... investigates Google Wallet and ISIS Mobile Wallet and their underlying business models. Findings: Google Wallet and ISIS Mobile Wallet are focusing on providing an enhanced customer experience with their mobile wallet through a multifaceted value proposition. The delivery of its offering requires cooperation...... from multiple stakeholders and the creation of an ecosystem. Furthermore, they focus on the scalability of their value propositions. Originality / value: The paper offers an applicable business model framework that allows practitioners and academics to study current and future mobile payment approaches....

  4. Self-healable mussel-mimetic nanocomposite hydrogel based on catechol-containing polyaspartamide and graphene oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Bo; Jeon, Young Sil; Park, Ho Seok; Kim, Ji-Heung

    2016-01-01

    Stimuli-responsive and self-healing materials have a wide range of potential uses, and some significant research has focused on cross-linking of hydrogel materials by means of reversible coordination bonding. The resulting materials, however, tend to have poor mechanical properties with pronounced weakness and brittleness. In this work, we present a novel mussel-inspired graphene oxide(GO)–containing hydrogel based on modified polyaspartamide with γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), 3.4-dihydroxyphenethylamine (DOPA), and ethanolamine (EA), termed PolyAspAm(GABA/DOPA/EA). Here both GO nanosheets and boric acid (H 3 BO 3 ) act as cross-linkers, interacting with polar functional groups of the PolyAspAm(GABA/DOPA/EA). Compared to PolyAspAm(GABA/DOPA/EA)/B 3+ gel without GO, the same containing 5 wt% of GO yielded a 10-fold increase in both the storage and loss moduli, as well as 134% and 104% increases in the tensile and compressive strengths, respectively. In addition, the GO-containing polyaspartamide hydrogel exhibited rapid and autonomous self-healing property. Two types of bonding, boron–catechol coordination and strong hydrogen bonding interactions between PolyAspAm side chains and GO nanosheets, would impart the enhanced mechanical strength and good reversible gelation behavior upon pH stimulation to the hydrogel, making this biocompatible hydrogel a promising soft matter for biomedical applications. - Highlights: • Novel GO-containing nanocomposite hydrogels based on dopamine-conjugated polyaspartamide derivative was prepared. • Improvement in the mechanical property of composite gel by GO incorporation was elucidated. • The “smart” characteristics of pH-responsive gelation and rapid self-healing were demonstrated.

  5. Self-healable mussel-mimetic nanocomposite hydrogel based on catechol-containing polyaspartamide and graphene oxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Bo; Jeon, Young Sil; Park, Ho Seok; Kim, Ji-Heung, E-mail: kimjh@skku.edu

    2016-12-01

    Stimuli-responsive and self-healing materials have a wide range of potential uses, and some significant research has focused on cross-linking of hydrogel materials by means of reversible coordination bonding. The resulting materials, however, tend to have poor mechanical properties with pronounced weakness and brittleness. In this work, we present a novel mussel-inspired graphene oxide(GO)–containing hydrogel based on modified polyaspartamide with γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), 3.4-dihydroxyphenethylamine (DOPA), and ethanolamine (EA), termed PolyAspAm(GABA/DOPA/EA). Here both GO nanosheets and boric acid (H{sub 3}BO{sub 3}) act as cross-linkers, interacting with polar functional groups of the PolyAspAm(GABA/DOPA/EA). Compared to PolyAspAm(GABA/DOPA/EA)/B{sup 3+} gel without GO, the same containing 5 wt% of GO yielded a 10-fold increase in both the storage and loss moduli, as well as 134% and 104% increases in the tensile and compressive strengths, respectively. In addition, the GO-containing polyaspartamide hydrogel exhibited rapid and autonomous self-healing property. Two types of bonding, boron–catechol coordination and strong hydrogen bonding interactions between PolyAspAm side chains and GO nanosheets, would impart the enhanced mechanical strength and good reversible gelation behavior upon pH stimulation to the hydrogel, making this biocompatible hydrogel a promising soft matter for biomedical applications. - Highlights: • Novel GO-containing nanocomposite hydrogels based on dopamine-conjugated polyaspartamide derivative was prepared. • Improvement in the mechanical property of composite gel by GO incorporation was elucidated. • The “smart” characteristics of pH-responsive gelation and rapid self-healing were demonstrated.

  6. HIV Care Providers' Attitudes regarding Mobile Phone Applications and Web-Based Dashboards to support Patient Self-Management and Care Coordination: Results from a Qualitative Feasibility Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swendeman, Dallas; Farmer, Shu; Mindry, Deborah; Lee, Sung-Jae; Medich, Melissa

    2016-10-01

    In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with healthcare providers (HCPs) from five HIV medical care coordination teams in a large Los Angeles County HIV clinic, including physicians, nurses, and psychosocial services providers. HCPs reported on the potential utility, acceptability, and barriers for patient self-monitoring and notifications via mobile phones, and web-based dashboards for HCPs. Potential benefits included: 1) enhancing patient engagement, motivation, adherence, and self-management; and 2) improving provider-patient relationships and HCP care coordination. Newly diagnosed and patients with co-morbidities were highest priorities for mobile application support. Facilitators included universal mobile phone ownership and use of smartphones or text messaging. Patient-level barriers included concerns about low motivation and financial instability for consistent use by some patients. Organizational barriers, cited primarily by physicians, included concerns about privacy protections, easy dashboard access, non-integrated electronic records, and competing burdens in limited appointment times. Psychosocial services providers were most supportive of the proposed mobile tools.

  7. HIV Care Providers’ Attitudes regarding Mobile Phone Applications and Web-Based Dashboards to support Patient Self-Management and Care Coordination: Results from a Qualitative Feasibility Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swendeman, Dallas; Farmer, Shu; Mindry, Deborah; Lee, Sung-Jae; Medich, Melissa

    2016-01-01

    In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with healthcare providers (HCPs) from five HIV medical care coordination teams in a large Los Angeles County HIV clinic, including physicians, nurses, and psychosocial services providers. HCPs reported on the potential utility, acceptability, and barriers for patient self-monitoring and notifications via mobile phones, and web-based dashboards for HCPs. Potential benefits included: 1) enhancing patient engagement, motivation, adherence, and self-management; and 2) improving provider-patient relationships and HCP care coordination. Newly diagnosed and patients with co-morbidities were highest priorities for mobile application support. Facilitators included universal mobile phone ownership and use of smartphones or text messaging. Patient-level barriers included concerns about low motivation and financial instability for consistent use by some patients. Organizational barriers, cited primarily by physicians, included concerns about privacy protections, easy dashboard access, non-integrated electronic records, and competing burdens in limited appointment times. Psychosocial services providers were most supportive of the proposed mobile tools. PMID:28066820

  8. Tamper-Resistant Mobile Health Using Blockchain Technology

    OpenAIRE

    Ichikawa, Daisuke; Kashiyama, Makiko; Ueno, Taro

    2017-01-01

    Background Digital health technologies, including telemedicine, mobile health (mHealth), and remote monitoring, are playing a greater role in medical practice. Safe and accurate management of medical information leads to the advancement of digital health, which in turn results in a number of beneficial effects. Furthermore, mHealth can help lower costs by facilitating the delivery of care and connecting people to their health care providers. Mobile apps help empower patients and health care p...

  9. A smart mobile pouch as a biomechanical energy harvester towards self-powered smart wireless power transfer applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandrasekhar, Arunkumar; Alluri, Nagamalleswara Rao; Sudhakaran, M S P; Mok, Young Sun; Kim, Sang-Jae

    2017-07-20

    A Smart Mobile Pouch Triboelectric Nanogenerator (SMP-TENG) is introduced as a promising eco-friendly approach for scavenging biomechanical energy for powering next generation intelligent devices and smart phones. This is a cost-effective and robust method for harvesting energy from human motion, by utilizing worn fabrics as a contact material. The SMP-TENG is capable of harvesting energy in two operational modes: lateral sliding and vertical contact and separation. Moreover, the SMP-TENG can also act as a self-powered emergency flashlight and self-powered pedometer during normal human motion. A wireless power transmission setup integrated with SMP-TENG is demonstrated. This upgrades the traditional energy harvesting device into a self-powered wireless power transfer SMP-TENG. The wirelessly transferred power can be used to charge a Li-ion battery and light LEDs. The SMP-TENG opens a wide range of opportunities in the field of self-powered devices and low maintenance energy harvesting systems for portable and wearable electronic gadgets.

  10. Do mobile clinics provide high-quality antenatal care? A comparison of care delivery, knowledge outcomes and perception of quality of care between fixed and mobile clinics in central Haiti.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, Erica; Stoltzfus, Rebecca J; Michaud, Lesly; Pierre, Gracia Lionel Fils; Vermeylen, Francoise; Pelletier, David

    2017-10-16

    Antenatal care (ANC) is an important health service for women in developing countries, with numerous proven benefits. Global coverage of ANC has steadily increased over the past 30 years, in part due to increased community-based outreach. However, commensurate improvements in health outcomes such as reductions in the prevalence of maternal anemia and infants born small-for-gestational age have not been achieved, even with increased coverage, indicating that quality of care may be inadequate. Mobile clinics are one community-based strategy used to further improve coverage of ANC, but their quality of care delivery has rarely been evaluated. To determine the quality of care of ANC in central Haiti, we compared adherence to national guidelines between fixed and mobile clinics by performing direct observations of antenatal care consultations and exit interviews with recipients of care using a multi-stage random sampling procedure. Outcome variables were eight components of care, and women's knowledge and perception of care quality. There were significant differences in the predicted proportion or probability of recommended services for four of eight care components, including intake, laboratory examinations, infection control, and supplies, iron folic acid supplements and Tetanus Toxoid vaccine provided to women. These care components were more likely performed in fixed clinics, except for distribution of supplies, iron-folic acid supplements, and Tetanus Toxoid vaccine, more likely provided in mobile clinics. There were no differences between clinic type for the proportion of total physical exam procedures performed, health and communication messages delivered, provider communication or documentation. Women's knowledge about educational topics was poor, but women perceived extremely high quality of care in both clinic models. Although adherence to guidelines differed by clinic type for half of the care components, both clinics had a low percentage of overall services

  11. Quality of experience management in mobile content delivery systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Agboma, F.; Liotta, A.

    2012-01-01

    This study contributes towards the relatively new but growing discipline of QoE management in content delivery systems. The study focuses on the development of a QoE-based management framework for the construction of QoE models for different types of multimedia contents delivered onto three typical

  12. Contributions of hard and soft blocks in the self-healing of metal-ligand-containing block copolymers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bose, R.K.; Enke, Marcel; Grande, A.M.; Zechel, Stefan; Schacher, Felix H.; Hager, Martin D.; Garcia Espallargas, Santiago J.; Schubert, Ulrich S.; van der Zwaag, S.

    2017-01-01

    The main aim of this work is to study the respective contribution of the hard and soft blocks of a metal-ligand containing block copolymer to the self-healing behavior. To this aim, different block copolymers containing terpyridine were synthesized using reversible addition-fragmentation chain

  13. Self-microemulsifying drug delivery system for improved oral bioavailability of dipyridamole: preparation and evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Feng; Zhong, Haijun; He, Jing; Xie, Baogang; Liu, Fen; Xu, Helin; Liu, Minmin; Xu, Chunlian

    2011-07-01

    Dipyridamole shows poor and variable bioavailability after oral administration due to pHdependent solubility, low biomembrane permeability as well as being a substrate of P-glycoprotein. In order to improve the oral absorption of dipyridamole, a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) for dipyridamole was prepared and evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The optimum formulation was 18% oleic acid, 12% Labrafac lipophile WL 1349, 42% Solutol HS 15 and 28% isopropyl alcohol. It was found that the performance of self-microemulsification with the combination of oleic acid and Labrafac lipophile WL 1349 increased compared with just one oil. The results obtained from an in vitro dissolution assay indicated that dipyridamole in SMEDDS dissolved rapidly and completely in pH 6.8 aqueous media, while the commercial drug tablet was less soluble. An oral bioavailability study in rats showed that dipyridamole in the SMEDDS formulation had a 2.06-fold increased absorption compared with the simple drug suspension. It was evident that SMEDDS may be an effective approach to improve the oral absorption for drugs having pH-dependent solubility.

  14. Supramolecular nanoparticles generated by the self-assembly of polyrotaxanes for antitumor drug delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu R

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Rong Liu,1,2,* Yusi Lai,1,* Bin He,1 Yuan Li,1 Gang Wang,1 Shuang Chang,1 Zhongwei Gu1 1National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; 2Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China*These authors contributed equally to this paperAbstract: A new approach of fabricating supramolecular nanoparticles generated by self-assembly polyrotaxanes for antitumor drug delivery has been reported. Cinnamic-acid-modified poly(ethylene glycol chains were threaded in a-cyclodextrins to form polyrotaxanes. The polyrotaxanes self-assembled supramolecular nanoparticles. The morphology of the nanoparticles was changed from nanovesicle to micelle after the antitumor drug, doxorubicin, was loaded. The release profile of the drug-loaded nanoparticles was investigated, and it was found that the sustaining release time could last for 32 hours. The drug-loaded nanoparticles were co-cultured with mouse 4T1 breast cancer cells with a drug concentration of 10 µg/mL; the cell survival rate was 3.3% after a 72-hour incubation. In an in vivo study of breast cancer in a mouse model, the drug-loaded nanoparticles were injected in the tail veins of mice with a dose of 5 mg/kg body weight. The tumor inhibition rate of drug-loaded nanoparticles was 53%, which was better than that of doxorubicin hydrochloride. The cardiac toxicity of doxorubicin was decreased greatly after the encapsulation into supramolecular polyrotaxane nanoparticles.Keywords: polyrotaxane, self-assembly, nanoparticle, doxorubicin, supermolecular

  15. Internet-Based Mobile Ad Hoc Networking (Preprint)

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Corson, M. S; Macker, Joseph P; Cirincione, Gregory H

    1999-01-01

    Internet-based Mobile Ad Hoc Networking is an emerging technology that supports self-organizing, mobile networking infrastructures, and is one which appears well-suited for use in future commercial...

  16. Otolaryngology Consult Carts: Maximizing Patient Care, Surgeon Efficiency, and Cost Containment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Royer, Mark C; Royer, Allison K

    2015-11-01

    The objective of this study was to develop an otolaryngology consult cart system to ensure prompt delivery to the bedside of all the unique equipment and medications required for emergent and urgent otolaryngology consults. An otolaryngology practice responsible for emergency room and hospital consult coverage sought to create a cart containing all equipment, medications, and supplies for otolaryngology consults. Meetings with hospital administration and emergency room, nursing, pharmacy, central processing, and operating room staff were held to develop a system for the emergent delivery of the cart to the needed location, sterilization and restocking of equipment between uses, and appropriate billing of supplies. Two months were required from conception to implementation. All equipment was purchased new, including flexible scopes and headlights. The cart is sterilized, restocked, and maintained by central processing after each use. The equipment is available to handle all airway emergencies as well as all common otolaryngology consults and is delivered bedside in less than 5 minutes. The development of a self-contained otolaryngology consult cart requires coordination with a wide variety of hospital departments. This system, while requiring initial monetary and time investment, has resulted in improved patient care, cost containment, and surgeon convenience. © The Author(s) 2015.

  17. Extending FDA guidance to include consumer medication information (CMI) delivery on mobile devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sage, Adam; Blalock, Susan J; Carpenter, Delesha

    This paper describes the current state of consumer-focused mobile health application use and the current U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance on the distribution of consumer medication information (CMI), and discusses recommendations and considerations for the FDA to expand CMI guidance to include CMI in mobile applications. Smartphone-based health interventions have been linked to increased medication adherence and improved health outcomes. Trends in smartphone ownership present opportunities to more effectively communicate and disseminate medication information; however, current FDA guidance for CMI does not outline how to effectively communicate CMI on a mobile platform, particularly in regards to user-centered design and information sourcing. As evidence supporting the potential effectiveness of mobile communication in health care continues to increase, CMI developers, regulating entities, and researchers should take note. Although mobile-based CMI offers an innovative mechanism to deliver medication information, caution should be exercised. Specifically, considerations for developing mobile CMI include consumers' digital literacy, user experience (e.g., usability), and the quality and accuracy of new widely used sources of information (e.g., crowd-sourced reviews and ratings). Recommended changes to FDA guidance for CMI include altering the language about scientific accuracy to address more novel methods of information gathering (e.g., anecdotal experiences and Google Consumer Surveys) and including guidance for usability testing of mobile health applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Six-man, self-contained carbon dioxide concentrator subsystem for Space Station Prototype (SSP) application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kostell, G. D.; Schubert, F. H.; Shumar, J. W.; Hallick, T. M.; Jensen, F. C.

    1974-01-01

    A six man, self contained, electrochemical carbon dioxide concentrating subsystem for space station prototype use was successfully designed, fabricated, and tested. A test program was successfully completed which covered shakedown testing, design verification testing, and acceptance testing.

  19. Measuring Mobile Phone Use

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boase, Jeff; Ling, Richard

    2013-01-01

    In this paper we examine how well two types of self-report measures adequately operationalize frequency of mobile phone use by comparing them to server log data. Our self-report measures of voice and SMS text messaging activity are drawn from a nationally representative survey of adults living...

  20. Identifying Objective Physiological Markers and Modifiable Behaviors for Self-Reported Stress and Mental Health Status Using Wearable Sensors and Mobile Phones: Observational Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sano, Akane; Taylor, Sara; McHill, Andrew W; Phillips, Andrew Jk; Barger, Laura K; Klerman, Elizabeth; Picard, Rosalind

    2018-06-08

    Wearable and mobile devices that capture multimodal data have the potential to identify risk factors for high stress and poor mental health and to provide information to improve health and well-being. We developed new tools that provide objective physiological and behavioral measures using wearable sensors and mobile phones, together with methods that improve their data integrity. The aim of this study was to examine, using machine learning, how accurately these measures could identify conditions of self-reported high stress and poor mental health and which of the underlying modalities and measures were most accurate in identifying those conditions. We designed and conducted the 1-month SNAPSHOT study that investigated how daily behaviors and social networks influence self-reported stress, mood, and other health or well-being-related factors. We collected over 145,000 hours of data from 201 college students (age: 18-25 years, male:female=1.8:1) at one university, all recruited within self-identified social groups. Each student filled out standardized pre- and postquestionnaires on stress and mental health; during the month, each student completed twice-daily electronic diaries (e-diaries), wore two wrist-based sensors that recorded continuous physical activity and autonomic physiology, and installed an app on their mobile phone that recorded phone usage and geolocation patterns. We developed tools to make data collection more efficient, including data-check systems for sensor and mobile phone data and an e-diary administrative module for study investigators to locate possible errors in the e-diaries and communicate with participants to correct their entries promptly, which reduced the time taken to clean e-diary data by 69%. We constructed features and applied machine learning to the multimodal data to identify factors associated with self-reported poststudy stress and mental health, including behaviors that can be possibly modified by the individual to improve