Project INSIDE: towards autonomous semi-unstructured human-robot social interaction in autism therapy.

This paper describes the INSIDE system, a networked robot system designed to allow the use of mobile robots as active players in the therapy of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). While a significant volume of work has explored the impact of robots in ASD therapy, most such work comprises remotely operated robots and/or well-structured interaction dynamics. In contrast, the INSIDE system allows for complex, semi-unstructured interaction in ASD therapy while featuring a fully autonomous robot. In this paper we describe the hardware and software infrastructure that supports such rich form of interaction, as well as the design methodology that guided the development of the INSIDE system. We also present some results on the use of our system both in pilot and in a long-term study comprising multiple therapy sessions with children at Hospital Garcia de Orta, in Portugal, highlighting the robustness and autonomy of the system as a whole.

Cardiovascular diseases in Patients with Bipolar disease: Pragmatic Management.

BACKGROUND: Bipolar disorder (BD), also known as manic-depressive illness, is a condition characterized by unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. Bipolar disorder is known to be a chronic and disabling disease associated with higher incidence of obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemias, hypertension and tobacco use which all together are known risk factors for the development of Cardiovascular diseases. With this research we wish to collect evidence to show how Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) affect Patients with Bipolar disease, the burden it can have in patients lives, to understand how this problem has been assessed so far and present suggestions that may improve the health care of these patients. METHODS: Our study is a literature based research. CONCLUSION: With our study we concluded that patients with BD are at higher risk of CVD and at an earlier age compared with the general population. Also, there is a lack of proper monitoring and consideration of the cardiovascular risk factors in patients with Bipolar disorder whether by primary care physicians or psychiatrists even though it plays a critical role in the general outcome of this patients and also leads to increase in mortality and morbidity rates.

Treatment of Depression in patients with Osteoarthritis: the importance of an early diagnosis and the role of Duloxetine.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) also called degenerative joint disease is the most common chronic condition of the joints that just in 2004, caused moderate to severe disability in 43.4 million of people. OA in Western populations is one of the most frequent causes of joint pain, loss of function and disability in adults. In the U.S. it is the second most common cause of work disability in men over 50 years of age, following ischaemic heart disease, and accounts for a higher number of hospitalizations when compared with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) each year. This condition is associated with chronic pain (which can be severe in many cases) and long term inflammatory processes which all together represent conditions that are known to be associated with depression. Depression is among the most burdensome disorders worldwide having affected just in 2010 15.4 million adults worldwide. Depression is associated with increase of symptom burden, greater level of functional impairment and increased risk of both disease complications and mortality. With this research we wished to put in evidence the importance of an early diagnosis of Depression in patients with osteoarthritis by using PHQ9 and suggest Duloxetine as an antidepressant that can be helpful in the management of not only pain but also depression in OA patients. METHODS: Our study is a literature based research. CONCLUSION: Early Diagnosis of depression of patients with osteoarthritis appears to be crucial for improving the outcomes of patients with OA and that can be easily and efficiently done with PHQ9. Duloxetine presents itself as an ally in the fight against the evolution of depression in patients with OA and should be considered even in mild to moderate states of depression.

What evidence is there to show which antipsychotics are more diabetogenic than others?

BACKGROUND: The use of antipsychotic therapy has been proven to have an association with the incidence of diabetes mellitus. The use of atypical antipsychotics is shown to have a higher association, in contrast with typical antipsychotics. Olanzapine and Clozapine appear to have the highest rates of diabetes mellitus incidence, due to their tendency to affect glucose metabolism compared with other antipsychotic drugs. In this research the main goal is to understand which antipsychotic drugs are the most diabetogenic and to show the mechanisms involved in the glucose metabolism dysregulations with special focus on Olanzapine considering it is a very commonly prescribed and used drug especially among patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: Our study is a literature based research. For our research we reviewed 41 Pubmed published articles from 2005 to 2015. CONCLUSION: According to most of the literature, from all the antipsychotics, Clozapine followed by Olanzapine appear to be the atypical neuroleptics that most relate to metabolic syndrome and Diabetes. The basis for this metabolic dysregulations appears to be multifactorial in origin and a result of the drugs, environment and genes interaction.

A review of the evidence for the use of metformin in the treatment of metabolic syndrome caused by antipsychotics.

BACKGROUND: Psychiatric patients requiring therapy with antipsychotics have a greater incidence of becoming overweight or obese compared with the general population. Many of these patients are often treated with second-generation (atypical) antipsychotics (SGAs), which are associated with weight gain, dyslipidaemia, and other metabolic derangements. The most important and first line of treatment for the metabolic syndrome is lifestyle changes including diet and exercise. However, other approaches like the use of medication (e.g. Metformin) have been also used, mainly when the lifestyle changes are difficult to achieve. Therefore, the treatment of antipsychotic-induced weight gain with metformin may be an option after the lifestyle and dietary changes fail. The use of metformin is still experimental and off license regarding the treatment of metabolic syndrome in Psychiatric patients, however we wished to assess the evidence for its use. METHODS: Our study is a literature based research. For our research we reviewed 12 Pubmed published articles from 2006 to 2013. CONCLUSION: Metformin have been reported to counteract effectively antipsychotic-induced body weight gain and has been demonstrated to improve glycaemic control and promote a moderate weight loss in both diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. Metformin use appears to be a benefit when started early in the course of treatment and mostly in young adults newly exposed to antipsychotic drugs.

Atuação do enfermeiro: orientando, estimulando e educando através de jogos educativos / La actuación del enfermero: orientando, estimulando y educando a través de juegos educativos / The performance of the nurse: orienting, stimulating and educating through educational games

Descrever o processo educativo dos enfermeiros no Programa Saúde da Família; identificar a utilização dos jogos educativos pelos enfermeiros no Programa Saúde da Família; analisar as possibilidades e dificuldades dos jogos educativos na prática do enfermeiro. Métodos: pesquisa descritiva exploratória, abordagem quanti-qualitativa, de campo, respaldada pela Resolução nº196/96, com enfermeiros atuantes em PSFs coordenados pelo Pólo Sanitário Washington Luiz Lopes, no município de São Gonçalo (RJ). Resultados: Há um interesse dos enfermeiros entrevistados em conhecer os jogos educativos e sua dinâmica, bem como de colocá-los em prática. Conclusão: O presente trabalho descreve e discute uma nova estratégia educativa, pouco conhecida como instrumento facilitador na educação.

Objective: To describe the nurses's educational process in Family Health Program, to identify the nurses's use in Family Health Program of the educational games, to analyze the possibilities and difficulties of the educational games in the nurse’s practice. Methods: Descriptive exploratory research, quanti-qualitative approach, of field, backed by the Resolution nº196/96, with actives nurses in Family Health Programs coordinated by the Polo Sanitário Washington Luiz Lopes, in São Gonçalo (RJ). Results: There is a concern of nurses interviewed in knowing the educational games and its dynamics, as well as of putting them in practice. Conclusion: The present work describes and discusses a new educational strategy, little known as facilitative instrument in the education.

Describir el proceso educativo de las enfermeras en el programa Salud de la familia, identificar la utilización de los juegos educativos por los enfermeros en Programa Salud de la Familia, y analizar las posibilidades y las dificuldades de los juegos educativos como una nueva estrategia de enseñanza. Métodos: Investigación descriptiva exploratoria, con el enfoque quanti - cualitativo, de campo, apoyado por la resolución nº 196/96, con enfermeras activas en Programas Salud de la Familia cordinados por el Polo Sanitário Luiz Lopes de Washington, en São Gonçalo (RJ). Resultados: hay un interés de las enfermeras entrevistadas en conocer los juegos educativos y su dinámica, tanto como ponerlos en la práctica. Conclusión: El presente trabajo describe y debate una nueva estrategia educativa, poco conocida como instrumento que facilita la educación.