Search results for "informatics"

Experimental data of the laboratory investigation for the design of a new filter cartridge for water treatment

2019

Abstract The data provided here refers to the experimental laboratory investigation conducted in the Laboratory of Environmental and Maritime Hydraulics (LIDAM) of University of Salerno, Italy, with the aim of developing a new filtering cartridge for water treatment capable of overcoming the main inconveniences shown by usual commercial cartridges. Specifically, the proposed filtering cartridge is an economic, non-toxic, low-resistance and long-life cartridge, currently under a patent pending status, whose main advantage is to permit to significantly reduce, compared with the commercial cartridges, average head losses induced by the cartridge even for high clogging degrees, and to increase,…

2021

AbstractAs the global health crisis unfolded, many academic conferences moved online in 2020. This move has been hailed as a positive step towards inclusivity in its attenuation of economic, physical, and legal barriers and effectively enabled many individuals from groups that have traditionally been underrepresented to join and participate. A number of studies have outlined how moving online made it possible to gather a more global community and has increased opportunities for individuals with various constraints, e.g., caregiving responsibilities.Yet, the mere existence of online conferences is no guarantee that everyone can attend and participate meaningfully. In fact, many elements of a…

The Software Crisis of Synthetic Biology

2016

In fifteen years, Synthetic Biology (SB) has moved from proof-of-concept designs to several flagship achievements. Standardisation efforts are still under way, basic engineering concepts such as modularity and orthogonality are still controversial in biology, and making predictions from computer models is still unreliable. A deep characterization in the pattern of re-use of biological blocks in SB has not been attempted to date. We have compared the topological organisation of two different technological networks, one associated to a standard, large-scale software repository and the second provided by the Registry of Standard Biological Parts (RSBP). Our results strongly suggest that softwa…

MAGA: A Supervised Method to Detect Motifs From Annotated Groups in Alignments

2020

Multiple sequence alignments are usually phylogenetically driven. They are studied in the framework of evolution. But sometimes, it is interesting to study residue conservation at positions unconstrained by evolutionary rules. We present a supervised method to access a layer of information difficult to appreciate visually when many protein sequences are aligned. This new tool (MAGA; http://cbdm-01.zdv.uni-mainz.de/~munoz/maga/ ) locates positions in multiple sequence alignments differentially conserved in manually defined groups of sequences.

Adaptive inputs in an interface for people with Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy: Learning and usability

2016

This study concerns the difficulty in accessing computers faced by people with Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy (DCP). Thus diminishing their opportunities to communicate or learn. This population usually needs an alternative input human-computer interface (HCI). The paper presents an alternative multimodal HCI that incorporates a head-mounted interface and superficial electromyography sensors (sEMG). The aim of the study is to assess the usability and the suitability of these two HCI devices. Six non-disabled subjects and ten subjects with DCP participated in the iterative process in which each test follows an improvement of an input. The results indicated that for both systems, the improvements …

Assessing the costs and cost-effectiveness of ICare internet-based interventions (protocol)

2019

Background: Mental health problems are common and place a burden on the individual as well as on societal resources. Despite the existence of evidence-based treatments, access to treatment is often prevented or delayed due to insufficient health care resources. Effective internet-based self-help interventions have the potential to reduce the risk for mental health problems, to successfully bridge waiting time for face-to-face treatment and to address inequities in access. However, little is known about the cost-effectiveness of such interventions. This paper describes the study protocol for the economic evaluation of the studies that form the ICare programme of internet-based interventions …

Consensus statement on the problem of terminology in psychological interventions using the internet or digital components

2020

Since the emergence of psychological interventions delivered via the Internet they have differed in numerous ways. The wealth of formats, methods, and technological solutions has led to increased availability and cost-effectiveness of clinical care, however, it has simultaneously generated a multitude of terms. With this paper, we first aim to establish whether a terminology issue exists in the field of Internet-delivered psychological interventions. If so, we aim to determine its implications for research, education, and practice. Furthermore, we intend to discuss solutions to mitigate the problem; in particular, we propose the concept of a common glossary. We invited 23 experts in the fie…

2020

Abstract A coach-guided Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention that uses a blended approach of two face-to-face and five online sessions (iACT; N = 33) has been found to be more effective than a waiting-list control condition (WLC; N = 35) at enhancing the wellbeing of university students while also reducing stress and depression. The present study explored possible mediators of change that may account for the outcomes of the study. Mediation analyses revealed that changes in the non-reactivity subscale of mindfulness mediated changes in wellbeing, depression, and stress in the iACT group. In addition, changes in the sense of coherence subscale of meaningfulness mediated chang…

2021

Abstract Objective Many parents of children with chronic conditions and developmental disabilities experience high rates of burnout and psychological distress. The aim of the current study was to examine the effects of two differently delivered interventions based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on symptoms of burnout, depression, quality of life, psychological flexibility, and mindfulness skills. Method A total of 110 parents of children aged 0.8 to 17 years with chronic conditions and developmental disabilities participated in a randomized controlled trial lasting 13 weeks with two intervention groups: (1) an iACT intervention, including three psychologist-led video conferencin…

2021

Abstract Understanding adolescent usage activity and experiences in web-based psychological intervention programs helps in developing universal programs that can be adopted for promotion of adolescent well-being and prevention of mental health problems. This study examined the usage activity, perceived usefulness (i.e., learning of mindfulness, acceptance and value-related skills), and program satisfaction of 157 Finnish ninth-grade adolescents, who participated in a school-based five-week universal acceptance and commitment therapy web intervention called Youth Compass. Individual and growth environment-related antecedents were measured before the five-week intervention, adolescents' usage…