The League: A person-centred approach to the development of social robotics for paediatric anxiety.

BACKGROUND: Social robots are promising tools to improve the quality of life of children and youth living with anxiety and should be developed based on the priorities of end users. However, pathways to include young people in patient-oriented research, particularly in the overlap between technology and mental health, have been historically limited. OBJECTIVE: In this work, we describe engagement with experts with lived experiences of paediatric anxiety in a social robotics research programme. We report the experiences of patient advisors in a co-creation process and identify considerations for other research groups looking to involve end users in technology development in the field of youth mental health. DESIGN: We engaged individuals with a lived experience of paediatric anxiety (current, recent past, or from a parent perspective) using three different models over the course of three years. Two initial patient partners were involved during project development, eight were engaged as part of an advisory panel ('the League') during study development and data analysis and four contributed as ongoing collaborators in an advisory role. League members completed a preparticipation expectation survey and a postparticipation experience survey. FINDINGS: Eight individuals from a range of anxiety-related diagnostic groups participated in the League as patient partners. Members were teenagers (n = 3), young adults aged 22-26 years who had connected with a youth mental health service as children within the past eight years (n = 3) or parents of children presently living with anxiety (n = 2). Preferred methods of communication, expectations and reasons for participating were collected. The League provided specific and actionable feedback on the design of workshops on the topic of social robotics, which was implemented. They reported that their experiences were positive and fairly compensated, but communication and sustained engagement over time were challenges. Issues of ethics and language related to patient-centred brain health technology research are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: There is an ethical imperative to meaningfully incorporate the voices of youth and young adults with psychiatric conditions in the development of devices intended to support their mental health and quality of life. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Six young people and two parents with lived experiences of paediatric anxiety participated in all stages of developing a research programme on social robotics to support paediatric mental health in a community context. They also provided input during the preparation of this manuscript.

Debate: Social media content moderation may do more harm than good for youth mental health.

Most social media platforms censor and moderate content related to mental illness to protect users from harm, though this may be at the expense of potential positive outcomes for youth mental health. Current evidence does not offer strong support for the relationship between censoring mental health content and preventing harm. In fact, existing moderation strategies can perpetuate negative consequences for mental health by creating isolated and polarized communities where at-risk youth remain exposed to harmful content, such as pro-eating disorder communities that use lexical variants to evade censorship. Social media censorship of content related to mental illness can also silence positive discourse about mental health, create barriers to accessing online support and resources, and hinder research efforts on youth well-being. Social media content about mental health can have important positive impacts on youth mental health by facilitating help-seeking, depicting positive coping strategies, and promoting a sense of belonging for struggling youth, but these benefits are minimized under existing moderation and censorship practices. This article presents a call to action for evidence-based social media policies and for practitioners to consider the clinical implications of social media engagement when connecting with young patients.

What Does ChatGPT Know About Dementia? A Comparative Analysis of Information Quality.

The quality of information about dementia retrieved using ChatGPT is unknown. Content was evaluated for length, readability, and quality using the QUEST, a validated tool, and compared against online material from three North American organizations. Both sources of information avoided conflicts of interest, supported the patient-physician relationship, and used a balanced tone. Official bodies but not ChatGPT referenced identifiable research and pointed to local resources. Users of ChatGPT are likely to encounter accurate but shallow information about dementia. Recommendations are made for information creators and providers who counsel patients around digital health practices.

Multiplex PCR for detection of Anaplasma marginale, A. bovis and A. platys in cattle.

Anaplasma genus has been classified under the family Anaplasmataceae of order Rickettsiales, which contains the spp. Anaplasma marginale, Anaplasma bovis, Anaplasma centrale, Anaplasma platys and Anaplasma phagocytophilum is accountable for a broad range of diseases in both man and animal medicine around the globe. A multiplex PCR procedure was designed to identify A. marginale, A. bovis, and A. platys simultaneously by employing species-specific primers targeting the msp4 (Anaplasma marginale), 16S rRNA (Anaplasma bovis), and groEL (Anaplasma platys) genes. The sensitivity of the assay was ascertained by tenfold dilutions of DNA obtained from cattle blood infected with A. marginale, A. bovis, and A. platys was used to evaluate the test sensitivity. A total of 31 Anaplasma genus positive samples were subjected to mPCR by using species specific primers for simultaneous detection of all the three species. All the 31 samples showed amplification of 753 bp fragment specific for A. marginale and 61.29% of the samples showed amplification of 547 bp fragment specific for A. bovis. The 470 bp DNA fragment specific for A. platys was found in 96.7% of samples. The lower limit of detection of the method for A. platys, A. marginale and A. bovis was found to be 4.4, 0.44 and 0.044 ng/µl, respectively.

Older adult perspectives on emotion and stigma in social robots.

Introduction: Social robot adoption by older adults and people living with dementia is limited by several barriers, including a lack of emotional alignment with social robots and perceptions of stigma around social robot use. The goal of this work was to address these barriers by engaging end-users in discussions on factors that could affect emotional connection to a social robot and considerations around using a social robot in public. Methods: We conducted seven 90-min online workshops with older adults with (n = 2) and without dementia (n = 25) and care partners (n = 17). Older adults with and without dementia were in their 50s - 80s, and care partners were in their 30s - 70s. Seven older adults, seven care partners, and one older adult with dementia indicated that they had used a robot before. Online workshops had 4-8 participants each, and began with video demonstrations of pet-like robot MiRo and tabletop robot T-Top, as well as a live demonstration of MiRo. Participants completed the Multi-Dimensional Robot Attitude Scale before the workshops and the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale and two Zoom polls during the workshops. The audio and chat responses from the workshops were transcribed verbatim and content analysis was performed on the transcripts. Results: Our analysis revealed three broad themes and 10 subthemes. In their discussions on features and applications, participants highlighted preferred forms of communication with a robot and ways in which a robot could support connection between people. For example, robots could improve the quality of communication between care partners and the person for whom they care. While many agreed that a social robot should match their level of emotion and interactivity, participants had different preferences for social robot emotional range and display features. Finally, participants discussed considerations around showing a robot to other people; several participants suggested that a robot could help raise awareness of ageing and dementia while others shared concerns about stigma and attracting negative attention from an audience. Discussion: Incorporating these findings into the design and implementation of social robots will result in devices that are better-suited to the needs of older adults, people living with dementia, and care partners.

Synthesis and characterization of nano zerovalent iron-kaolin clay (nZVI-Kaol) composite polyethersulfone (PES) membrane for the efficacious As2O3 removal from potable water samples.

In this study, Kaolin clay, a mining material, was used as an abundant and available mineral as zero-valent iron-kaolinite composites for As2O3 removal from the water samples. The composites were made by the sodium borohydrate reduction method. The existence of Fe0 in the produced composites was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The membranes are prepared with zerovalent nano Iron-Kaolin and PES. The synthesized composites were then mixed with polyethersulfone to prepare the membranes S1, S2, and S3 with varying compositions. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) analysis of the produced membranes showed the porous structure and the contact angle of membranes increased the hydrophilicity. The membranes were explored for the removal of As2O3 (AsIII) in potable water samples. The filtration studies were carried out using the syringe filtration setup. Analysis of the arsenic (III) solution was carried out, before and after the filtration process using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES), which showed a maximum of 50% reduction in its original concentration. The filtered membrane is analyzed for arsenic by Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) technique. Thus, the synthesized membrane effectively sieves the arsenic in water samples.

Fabrication of a Low-Coercivity, Large-Magnetoresistance PVA/Fe/Co/Ni Nanofiber Composite Using an Electrospinning Technique and Its Characterization.

A nanofiber composite is a unique engineered material, which can impart new physical, chemical, and electrical properties. Among existing polymer composites, the metallic nanofiber composite has a significant role in biomedical applications. In this study, a metallic nanofiber composite was fabricated using poly vinyl alcohol [PVA-(C2H4O)n] reinforced with ferric nitrate [Fe(NO3)3·9H2O], cobalt nitrate [Co(NO3)2·6H2O], and nickel acetate [C4H6NiO4·4H2O] using a low-cost electrospinning process. The process parameters were optimized for fabricating uniform, bead-free, and substratefree fibers. The morphological features of the composite were evaluated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Hysteresis of the heat-treated composite was studied using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). This study showed that the composite behaved as a ferromagnetic (intermediate) material with coercivity in the range 318-671 G for different wt.% of nickel. Pellets (8-mm diameter and 250-µm thickness) of this composite changed the resistance by 18% when dispensed in a magnetic field of 1200 G at an ambient temperature. Based on a thermogravimetric analysis, the thermal stability and magnetoresistance property showed that the fabricated composite was suitable for developing a highly sensitive magnetic sensor, which could be used in bio-sensing applications.

Defect structure and optical phonon confinement in ultrananocrystalline BixSn1-xO2 (x = 0, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.08) synthesized by a sonochemical method.

We report the structure of defect and the oxygen vacancy-induced optical phonon confinement in phase pure tetragonal rutile crystal structured ultrananocrystalline BixSn1-xO2 (x = 0, 0.03, 0.05, 0.08) with high surface area synthesized by sonochemical method. As the Bi ion incorporates into the SnO2 host lattice, it replaces the Sn ions marked by the lattice expansion, which leads to the formation of oxygen vacancies so as to maintain charge neutrality. The grain size reduces from 6 nm to 3 nm with increase in Bi content from 0% to 8%. The size effect and the increased oxygen vacancy concentration were found to induce phonon confinement within the grain. This has led to interesting changes in the vibrational spectra of the ultrananocrystalline BixSn1-xO2 as the size reduces below 9 nm. Absence of periodicity beyond this critical particle size relaxes the zone-centre optical phonon selection rule, causing the Raman spectrum to have contributions also from phonons away from the Brillouin-zone centre. The structure of defects, such as the in-plane, bridging and sub-bridging oxygen vacancies present, was confirmed using Raman spectroscopic analysis. The reason for enhancement in photoluminescence behaviour with increased Bi content is discussed. The energy band gap was found to be wider (∼4 eV) compared to the bulk and reveals an increasing trend as a function of Bi%. The increase in band gap with decrease in particle size marks the quantum confinement effect. The variation of band gap upon doping is due to the BM shift effect, which arises as a result of the increase in carrier concentration.

Near Band Edge Emission by Free Exciton Decay and Intrinsic Ferromagnetic Ordering of Cu-Doped SnO2 Hollow Nanofibers.

High quality nanocrystalline pristine and Cu-doped SnO2 hollow nanofibers were successfully prepared through simple and effective electrospinning technique. Nanofibers calcined at 600 °C for 3 h were characterized with different analytical techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron Microscope (TEM) and Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Observed TEM images and XRD patterns were corroborate to the formation of tetragonal crystalline SnO2 hollow nanofibers with rutile phase. Excellent optical behaviour was observed for Cu-doped SnO2. Highly intense near band edge emission at 3.58 eV for Cu-doped SnO2 evidences the free exciton decay process in the hollow nanofibers. For the first time we have reported here the near band edge PL emission in Cu-doped SnO2 tubular hollow nanostructure. This study substantiates that material potential for UV-lasing application. In addition to the above, magnetic measurement ascribes that Cu-doped SnO2 exhibit the intrinsic room temperature ferromagnetism within the low field strength. The occurrence of ferromagnetism in Cu-doped SnO2 is directly related to the p-d ferromagnetic exchange coupling between the local magnetic moment of Cu2+ and the polarized valence electrons of surrounding oxygen. Over all this study provides the primary information about tunable multifunctionality of SnO2 hollow nanostructures by adding the non-magnetic Cu ions.

Synthesis of biodiesel from pongamia oil using heterogeneous ion-exchange resin catalyst.

Biodiesel is a clean-burning renewable substitute fuel for petroleum. Biodiesel could be effectively produced by transesterification reaction of triglycerides of vegetable oils with short-chain alcohols in the presence of homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysts. Conventionally, biodiesel manufacturing processes employ strong acids or bases as catalysts. But, separation of the catalyst and the by-product glycerol from the product ester is too expensive to justify the product use as an automobile fuel. Hence heterogeneous catalysts are preferred. In this study, transesterification of pongamia oil with ethanol was performed using a solid ion-exchange resin catalyst. It is a macro porous strongly basic anion exchange resin. The process parameters affecting the ethyl ester yield were investigated. The reaction conditions were optimized for the maximum yield of fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE) of pongamia oil. The properties of FAEE were compared with accepted standards of biodiesel. Engine performance was also studied with pongamia oil diesel blend and engine emission characteristics were observed.

Porous tubular rutile TiO2 nanofibers: synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic properties.

Electrospinning was employed to synthesize tubular TiO2 nanofibers. The as-spun fibers were subjected to heat treatment at 800 degrees C for 1 h in the air. By controlling the polymer concentration, pores measuring 30-60 nm were formed on the side walls of the tubular nanofibers. During annealing, the average nanofiber diameter shrank from 150 nm to 120 nm. The structural properties were characterized by XRD, Raman and FTIR spectroscopy. Further porous and tubular structures were confirmed by SEM and HRTEM. The specific surface area of porous tubular nanofibers (PTNFs) was measured using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method, which revealed a high surface area of 63 m2 g(-1). Photodegradation of methyl orange demonstrated that the PTNFs have higher photocatalytic activity than nonporous nanofibers. This enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the high surface area of the porous and tubular structures.

Optical and magnetic studies of electrospun Mn-doped SnO2 hollow nanofiber dilute magnetic semiconductor.

The hollow nanofibers of Mn-doped SnO2 were fabricated by electrospinning method. The structural and magnetic properties of the electrospun fibers calcined at 600 degrees C were studied. X-ray diffraction patterns of the nanofibers showed broad diffraction peaks and were indexed to the characteristic diffraction pattern of tetragonal SnO2. The hollow fiber micro-structure of Mn-doped and pure SnO2 were confirmed from the observed HRSEM and TEM analysis. Typical diameter of the hollow nanofibers was found to be around 150 nm. Strong emission peak in the visible region of the PL spectra characteristic of the optical activity of the SnO2 is obtained. Surface composition of the nanofiber and successful incorporation of Mn into SnO2 were confirmed from intense peaks recorded in the XPS spectra. Finally, a reasonable ferromagnetic transition observed at 10 K in the Mn-doped SnO2, substantiates that the presence of undetectable Sn-Mn solid solution or the formation of Mn based oxide secondary phases. It concludes that the induced ferromagnetism is only due to the precipitated impurity phases and does not arise from any intrinsic pure SnO2 or the dopant.

Comparative study on efficacy of Antimicrobial activity of three Ayurvedic drugs Balaguduchi, Dhanadanayanadi and Dasamoolabala on isolated Nosocomial Pathogens.

The antibacterial activity of various solvent fractions of Balaguduchi, Dhanadanayanadi and Dasamoolabala was studied against the isolated nosocomial pathogens by in vitro method. The methanol, acetone, choloroform, acetone fractions of test drugs and decoctions exhibited different levels of antibacterial activity from low to very high level against the gram positive and gram -negative bacteria. The zone of inhibition of each fraction of drugs was compared with the standard antibiotics Penicillin and Streptomycin. The present study proves and explains the ability and potency of the extracts of Balaguduchi, Dhanadanayanadi and Dasamoolabala as a preventive measure of secondary infections by bacteria in the hospitalixe patients. Even though, these medicines are prescribed in ayurveda for the different clinical indications, the possible secondary activity is also proved through this study.

Removal of chromium from aqueous solution using cellulose acetate and sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) blend ultrafiltration membranes.

A process for purifying aqueous solutions containing heavy and toxic metals such as chromium has been investigated. Chromium salts are largely used in various industries including leather-manufacturing industry. Ultrafiltration processes are largely being applied for macromolecular and heavy metal ion separation from aqueous streams. Cellulose acetate and sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) blend ultrafiltration membranes were prepared by precipitation phase inversion technique in 100/0, 90/10, 80/20 and 70/30% polymer blend compositions and subjected to the rejection of chromium at different concentrations such as 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 ppm with a water-soluble macroligand (polyvinylalcohol). Factors affecting the percentage rejection and permeate flux such as pH, concentration of solute, concentration of PVA, transmembrane pressure and composition of blend membranes were investigated. It was found that percentage rejection improved at a pH 6 and a macroligand concentration of 2 wt.%. The transmembrane pressure and concentration of solute also have an effect on the separation and product rate efficiencies of the blend membranes.

Chemical deglycosylation can induce methylation, succinimide formation, and isomerization.

Interpretation of deglycosylation studies relies heavily on the absence of modifications to the polypeptide chain. We have found that by using a common chemical deglycosylation technique, one can effect at least three changes in a peptide's structure: methylation, isomerization, and ring formation. It was determined that the conditions of chemical deglycosylation introduce a +14 Da shift in the masses of our model peptides, RKDVY, RKEVY, and horseradish peroxidase. This shift is localized to acidic functional groups and is interpreted as methylation of the free carboxylates in our models. An additional shift in mass of -18 Da is found in the model peptide RKDVY consistent with the loss of water associated with succinimide ring formation in this peptide. Chemical treatment induced isomerization of aspartyl residues to isoaspartyl residues in another model peptide, tetragastrin. These results indicate that one should use caution when interpreting the results of chemical deglycosylation experiments.