Validity and reliability of the Mobile Toolbox Faces and Names memory test.

Validation of the Mobile Toolbox Faces and Names associative memory test is presented. Ninety-two participants self-administered Faces and Names in-person; 956 self-administered Faces and Names remotely but took convergent measures in person; and 123 self-administered Faces and Names remotely twice, 14 days apart. Internal consistency (.76-.79) and test-retest reliability (ICC = .73) were acceptable. Convergent validity with WMS-IV Verbal Paired Associates was satisfactory (immediate .54; delayed .58). The findings suggest the remotely administered Faces and Names is a reliable instrument.

Longevous Protic Hybrid Supercapacitors Using Bimetallic Prussian Blue Analogue/rGO-Based Nanocomposite Against MXene Anode.

MXenes exhibit a unique combination of properties-2D structure, high conductivity, exceptional capacity, and chemical resistance-making them promising candidates for hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs). However, the development of MXene-based HSCs is often hindered by the limited availability of cathode materials that deliver comparable electrochemical performance, especially in protic electrolytes. In this study, this challenge is addressed by introducing a durable protic HSC utilizing a bimetallic Prussian Blue Analogue (PBA) decorated on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as a nanocomposite cathode paired with a single-layered Ti3C2Tx MXene (SL-MXene) anode. The bimetallic PBA, specifically nickel hexacyanocobaltate (NiHCC), is utilized by virtue of its open and stable structure that facilitates efficient charge storage, leading to enhanced stability and energy storage capabilities. The resulting NiHCC/rGO//SL-MXene cell demonstrates impressive performance, achieving a maximum specific energy of 38.03 Wh kg-1 and a power density of 20 666.67 W kg-1. Remarkably, the NiHCC/rGO//SL-MXene HSC cell also exhibits excellent cycling stability without any loss even after 15 000 cycles while retaining ≈100% coulombic efficiency. This work underscores the potential of bimetallic PBA materials with conductive rGO backbone for overcoming the limitations of current MXene-based protic HSCs, highlighting the significance of this work.

Developing the DIGIFOOD Dashboard to Monitor the Digitalization of Local Food Environments: Interdisciplinary Approach.

BACKGROUND: Online food delivery services (OFDS) enable individuals to conveniently access foods from any deliverable location. The increased accessibility to foods may have implications on the consumption of healthful or unhealthful foods. Concerningly, previous research suggests that OFDS offer an abundance of energy-dense and nutrient-poor foods, which are heavily promoted through deals or discounts. OBJECTIVE: In this paper, we describe the development of the DIGIFOOD dashboard to monitor the digitalization of local food environments in New South Wales, Australia, resulting from the proliferation of OFDS. METHODS: Together with a team of data scientists, we designed a purpose-built dashboard using Microsoft Power BI. The development process involved three main stages: (1) data acquisition of food outlets via web scraping, (2) data cleaning and processing, and (3) visualization of food outlets on the dashboard. We also describe the categorization process of food outlets to characterize the healthfulness of local, online, and hybrid food environments. These categories included takeaway franchises, independent takeaways, independent restaurants and cafes, supermarkets or groceries, bakeries, alcohol retailers, convenience stores, and sandwich or salad shops. RESULTS: To date, the DIGIFOOD dashboard has mapped 36,967 unique local food outlets (locally accessible and scraped from Google Maps) and 16,158 unique online food outlets (accessible online and scraped from Uber Eats) across New South Wales, Australia. In 2023, the market-leading OFDS operated in 1061 unique suburbs or localities in New South Wales. The Sydney-Parramatta region, a major urban area in New South Wales accounting for 28 postcodes, recorded the highest number of online food outlets (n=4221). In contrast, the Far West and Orana region, a rural area in New South Wales with only 2 postcodes, recorded the lowest number of food outlets accessible online (n=7). Urban areas appeared to have the greatest increase in total food outlets accessible via online food delivery. In both local and online food environments, it was evident that independent restaurants and cafes comprised the largest proportion of food outlets at 47.2% (17,437/36,967) and 51.8% (8369/16,158), respectively. However, compared to local food environments, the online food environment has relatively more takeaway franchises (2734/16,158, 16.9% compared to 3273/36,967, 8.9%) and independent takeaway outlets (2416/16,158, 14.9% compared to 4026/36,967, 10.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The DIGIFOOD dashboard leverages the current rich data landscape to display and contrast the availability and healthfulness of food outlets that are locally accessible versus accessible online. The DIGIFOOD dashboard can be a useful monitoring tool for the evolving digital food environment at a regional scale and has the potential to be scaled up at a national level. Future iterations of the dashboard, including data from additional prominent OFDS, can be used by policy makers to identify high-priority areas with limited access to healthful foods both online and locally.

Mobile toolbox (MTB) remote measures of executive function and processing speed: development and validation.

OBJECTIVE: The ability to remotely monitor cognitive skills is increasing with the ubiquity of smartphones. The Mobile Toolbox (MTB) is a new measurement system that includes measures assessing Executive Functioning (EF) and Processing Speed (PS): Arrow Matching, Shape-Color Sorting, and Number-Symbol Match. The purpose of this study was to assess their psychometric properties. METHOD: MTB measures were developed for smartphone administration based on constructs measured in the NIH Toolbox® (NIHTB). Psychometric properties of the resulting measures were evaluated in three studies with participants ages 18 to 90. In Study 1 (N = 92), participants completed MTB measures in the lab and were administered both equivalent NIH TB measures and other external measures of similar cognitive constructs. In Study 2 (N = 1,021), participants completed the equivalent NIHTB measures in the lab and then took the MTB measures on their own, remotely. In Study 3 (N = 168), participants completed MTB measures twice remotely, two weeks apart. RESULTS: All three measures exhibited very high internal consistency and strong test-retest reliability, as well as moderately high correlations with comparable NIHTB tests and moderate correlations with external measures of similar constructs. Phone operating system (iOS vs. Android) had a significant impact on performance for Arrow Matching and Shape-Color Sorting, but no impact on either validity or reliability. CONCLUSIONS: Results support the reliability and convergent validity of MTB EF and PS measures for use across the adult lifespan in remote, self-administered designs.

Looking Ahead: Advancing Measurement and Analysis of the Block Design Test Using Technology and Artificial Intelligence.

The block design test (BDT) has been used for over a century in research and clinical contexts as a measure of spatial cognition, both as a singular ability and as part of more comprehensive intelligence assessment. Traditionally, the BDT has been scored using methods that do not reflect the full potential of individual differences that could be measured by the test. Recent advancements in technology, including eye-tracking, embedded sensor systems, and artificial intelligence, have provided new opportunities to measure and analyze data from the BDT. In this methodological review, we outline the information that BDT can assess, review several recent advancements in measurement and analytic methods, discuss potential future uses of these methods, and advocate for further research using these methods.

"What concerns me or what is most interesting to me": A qualitative study about what influences adolescent engagement with public health issues.

ISSUES ADDRESSED: Promoting public health messages in adolescence may influence future health outcomes. A better understanding of what influences adolescent engagement with public health issues is needed. METHODS: Adolescents aged 13-19 years from New South Wales, Australia, were recruited via study advertisements to participate in an online focus group. All provided informed consent and completed a short survey including demographics and selection of leading public health issues of concern. Participants attended a 75-90 min focus group conducted through Zoom teleconference that explored top public health issues of concern to participants, and barriers/enablers to engage with these issues. Qualitative data was thematically analysed using NVivo. A working group reached consensus on final themes. RESULTS: Out of 18 participants (mean 15.4 [SD: 2.2] years; 50% female), most attended high school (83%), spoke predominantly English at home (89%), and resided in metropolitan areas (94%). The top public health issues of concern selected were mental health (56%) and the environment/climate change (56%). From the thematic analysis, underlying drivers of adolescent engagement with public health issues included: personal connection to these issues, broader societal impact, and exposure to public health issues on digital media. Barriers included feeling unempowered, and a lack of support and opportunities. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insights on the barriers and enablers of adolescents engaging with public health issues of concern to them. SO WHAT?: Understanding this may help health professionals and researchers to design more influential public health campaigns and interventions, including through co-design processes, which may improve future health outcomes.

Development and validation of an episodic memory measure in the Mobile Toolbox (MTB): Arranging Pictures.

INTRODUCTION: Arranging Pictures is a new episodic memory test based on the NIH Toolbox (NIHTB) Picture Sequence Memory measure and optimized for self-administration on a personal smartphone within the Mobile Toolbox (MTB). We describe evidence from three distinct validation studies. METHOD: In Study 1, 92 participants self-administered Arranging Pictures on study-provided smartphones in the lab and were administered external measures of similar and dissimilar constructs by trained examiners to assess validity under controlled circumstances. In Study 2, 1,021 participants completed the external measures in the lab and self-administered Arranging Pictures remotely on their personal smartphones to assess validity in real-world contexts. In Study 3, 141 participants self-administered Arranging Pictures remotely twice with a two-week delay on personal iOS smartphones to assess test-retest reliability and practice effects. RESULTS: Internal consistency was good across samples (ρxx = .80 to .85, p < .001). Test-retest reliability was marginal (ICC = .49, p < .001) and there were significant practice effects after a two-week delay (ΔM = 3.21 (95% CI [2.56, 3.88]). As expected, correlations with convergent measures were significant and moderate to large in magnitude (ρ = .44 to .76, p < .001), while correlations with discriminant measures were small (ρ = .23 to .27, p < .05) or nonsignificant. Scores demonstrated significant negative correlations with age (ρ = -.32 to -.21, p < .001). Mean performance was slightly higher in the iOS compared to the Android group (MiOS = 18.80, NiOS = 635; MAndroid = 17.11, NAndroid = 386; t(757.73) = 4.17, p < .001), but device type did not significantly influence the psychometric properties of the measure. Indicators of potential cheating were mixed; average scores were significantly higher in the remote samples (F(2, 850) = 11.415, p < .001), but there were not significantly more perfect scores. CONCLUSION: The MTB Arranging Pictures measure demonstrated evidence of reliability and validity when self-administered on personal device. Future research should examine the potential for cheating in remote settings and the properties of the measure in clinical samples.

Protocol for a construct and clinical validation study of MyCog Mobile: a remote smartphone-based cognitive screener for older adults.

INTRODUCTION: Annual cognitive screening in older adults is essential for early detection of cognitive impairment, yet primary care settings face time constraints that present barriers to routine screening. A remote cognitive screener completed on a patient's personal smartphone before a visit has the potential to save primary care clinics time, encourage broader screening practices and increase early detection of cognitive decline. MyCog Mobile is a promising new remote smartphone-based cognitive screening app for primary care settings. We propose a combined construct and clinical validation study of MyCog Mobile. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will recruit a total sample of 300 adult participants aged 65 years and older. A subsample of 200 healthy adult participants and a subsample of 100 adults with a cognitive impairment diagnosis (ie, dementia, mild cognitive impairment, cognitive deficits or other memory loss) will be recruited from the general population and specialty memory care centres, respectively. To evaluate the construct validity of MyCog Mobile, the healthy control sample will self-administer MyCog Mobile on study-provided smartphones and be administered a battery of gold-standard neuropsychological assessments. We will compare correlations between performance on MyCog Mobile and measures of similar and dissimilar constructs to evaluate convergent and discriminant validity. To assess clinical validity, participants in the clinical sample will self-administer MyCog Mobile on a smartphone and be administered a Mini-Cog screener and these data will be combined with the healthy control sample. We will then apply several supervised model types to determine the best predictors of cognitive impairment within the sample. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, accuracy, sensitivity and specificity will be the primary performance metrics for clinical validity. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The Institutional Review Board at Northwestern University (STU00214921) approved this study protocol. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and summaries provided to the study's funders.

Remote Self-Administration of Cognitive Screeners for Older Adults Prior to a Primary Care Visit: Pilot Cross-Sectional Study of the Reliability and Usability of the MyCog Mobile Screening App.

BACKGROUND: Routine cognitive screening is essential in the early detection of dementia, but time constraints in primary care settings often limit clinicians' ability to conduct screenings. MyCog Mobile is a newly developed cognitive screening system that patients can self-administer on their smartphones before a primary care visit, which can help save clinics' time, encourage broader screening practices, and increase early detection of cognitive decline. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this pilot study was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and initial psychometric properties of MyCog Mobile. Research questions included (1) Can older adults complete MyCog Mobile remotely without staff support? (2) Are the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the measures acceptable? and (3) How do participants rate the user experience of MyCog Mobile? METHODS: A sample of adults aged 65 years and older (N=51) self-administered the MyCog Mobile measures remotely on their smartphones twice within a 2- to 3-week interval. The pilot version of MyCog Mobile includes 4 activities: MyFaces measures facial memory, MySorting measures executive functioning, MySequences measures working memory, and MyPictures measures episodic memory. After their first administration, participants also completed a modified version of the Simplified System Usability Scale (S-SUS) and 2 custom survey items. RESULTS: All participants in the sample passed the practice items and completed each measure. Findings indicate that the Mobile Toolbox assessments measure the constructs well (internal consistency 0.73 to 0.91) and are stable over an approximately 2-week delay (test-retest reliability 0.61 to 0.71). Participants' rating of the user experience (mean S-SUS score 73.17, SD 19.27) indicated that older adults found the usability of MyCog Mobile to be above average. On free-response feedback items, most participants provided positive feedback or no feedback at all, but some indicated a need for clarity in certain task instructions, concerns about participants' abilities, desire to be able to contact a support person or use in-app technical support, and desire for additional practice items. CONCLUSIONS: Pilot evidence suggests that the MyCog Mobile cognitive screener can be reliably self-administered by older adults on their smartphones. Participants in our study generally provided positive feedback about the MyCog Mobile experience and rated the usability of the app highly. Based on participant feedback, we will conduct further usability research to improve support functionality, optimize task instructions and practice opportunities, and ensure that patients feel comfortable using MyCog Mobile. The next steps include a clinical validation study that compares MyCog Mobile to gold-standard assessments and tests the sensitivity and specificity of the measures for identifying dementia.

Development and Validation of a Vocabulary Measure in the Mobile Toolbox.

OBJECTIVE: We describe the development of a new computer adaptive vocabulary test, Mobile Toolbox (MTB) Word Meaning, and validity evidence from 3 studies. METHOD: Word Meaning was designed to be a multiple-choice synonym test optimized for self-administration on a personal smartphone. The items were first calibrated online in a sample of 7,525 participants to create the computer-adaptive test algorithm for the Word Meaning measure within the MTB app. In Study 1, 92 participants self-administered Word Meaning on study-provided smartphones in the lab and were administered external measures by trained examiners. In Study 2, 1,021 participants completed the external measures in the lab and Word Meaning was self-administered remotely on their personal smartphones. In Study 3, 141 participants self-administered Word Meaning remotely twice with a 2-week delay on personal iPhones. RESULTS: The final bank included 1363 items. Internal consistency was adequate to good across samples (ρxx = 0.78 to 0.81, p < .001). Test-retest reliability was good (ICC = 0.65, p < .001), and the mean theta score was not significantly different upon the second administration. Correlations were moderate to large with measures of similar constructs (ρ = 0.67-0.75, p < .001) and non-significant with measures of dissimilar constructs. Scores demonstrated small to moderate correlations with age (ρ = 0.35 to 0.45, p < .001) and education (ρ = 0.26, p < .001). CONCLUSION: The MTB Word Meaning measure demonstrated evidence of reliability and validity in three samples. Further validation studies in clinical samples are necessary.

Using the Mobile Toolbox in child and adolescent samples: A feasibility study.

Cognitive research with developmental samples requires improved methods that support large-scale, diverse, and open science. This paper offers initial evidence to support the Mobile Toolbox (MTB), a self-administered remote smartphone-based cognitive battery, in youth populations, from a pilot sample of 99 children (Mage = 11.79 years; 36% female; 53% White, 33% Black or African American, 9% Asian, and 15% Hispanic). Completion rates (95%-99%), practice performance (96%-100%), internal consistency (0.60-0.98), and correlations with similar NIHTB measures (0.55-0.77) provide the first evidence to support the MTB in a youth sample, although there were some inconsistencies across measures. Preliminary findings provide promising evidence of the MTB in developmental populations, and further studies are encouraged.

Using Mobile Ecological Momentary Assessment to Understand Consumption and Context Around Online Food Delivery Use: Pilot Feasibility and Acceptability Study.

BACKGROUND: Mobile ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is a powerful tool for collecting real-time and contextual data from individuals. As our reliance on online technologies to increase convenience accelerates, the way we access food is changing. Online food delivery (OFD) services may further encourage unhealthy food consumption habits, given the high availability of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods. We used EMA to understand the real-time effects of OFD on individuals' food choices and consumption behaviors. OBJECTIVE: The primary aims of this pilot study were to assess the feasibility and acceptability of using EMA in young users of OFD and compare 2 different EMA sampling methods. The secondary aims were to gather data on OFD events and their context and examine any correlations between demographics, lifestyle chronic disease risk factors, and OFD use. METHODS: This study used EMA methods via a mobile app (mEMASense, ilumivu Inc). Existing users of OFD services aged 16 to 35 years in Australia who had access to a smartphone were recruited. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: signal-contingent or event-contingent. The signal-contingent group was monitored over 3 days between 7 AM and 10 PM. They received 5 prompts each day to complete EMA surveys via the smartphone app. In contrast, the event-contingent group was monitored over 7 days and was asked to self-report any instance of OFD. RESULTS: A total of 102 participants were analyzed, with 53 participants in the signal-contingent group and 49 participants in the event-contingent group. Compliance rates, indicating the feasibility of signal-contingent and event-contingent protocols, were similar at 72.5% (574/792) and 73.2% (251/343), respectively. Feedback from the participants suggested that the EMA app was not easy to use, which affected their acceptability of the study. Participants in the event-contingent group were 3.53 (95% CI 1.52-8.17) times more likely to have had an OFD event captured during the study. Pizza (23/124, 18.5%) and fried chicken (18/124, 14.5%) comprised a bulk of the 124 OFD orders captured. Most orders were placed at home (98/124, 79%) for 1 person (68/124, 54.8%). Age (incidence rate ratio 0.95, 95% CI 0.91-0.99; P=.03) and dependents (incidence rate ratio 2.01, 95% CI 1.16-3.49; P=.01) were significantly associated with the number of OFD events in a week after adjusting for gender, socioeconomic status, diet quality score, and perceived stress levels. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study showed that EMA using an event-contingent sampling approach may be a better method to capture OFD events and context than signal-contingent sampling. The compliance rates showed that both sampling methods were feasible and acceptable. Although the findings from this study have gathered some insight on the consumption and context of OFD in young people, further studies are required to develop targeted interventions.

Transition metal complex-incorporated polyaniline as a platform for an enzymatic uric acid electrochemical sensor.

Uric acid (UA) is the primary waste product from purine metabolism in humans. Excessive UA levels in the body will accumulate in joints and form crystals that cause a wide range of health problems. An enzymatic electrochemical biosensor for UA based on the transition metal complex-incorporated polyaniline PANI-RC functionalized with both urate oxidase (UOx) as a specific bioreceptor and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as a signal enhancer was developed. The transition metal complex being used herein is the commonly used redox couple (RC) in electrochemical biosensors, [Fe(CN)6]3-/4-, which plays the pivotal role of electron acceptors. This PANI-RC platform then becomes a conducive environment not only for enzyme immobilization but also for signal transfer improvement. The synergistic combination of HRP near UOx and RC anchored on the backbone of PANI helps in electron transfer from the enzymatic reaction to the current collector. The resulting PANI-RC-based UA sensor demonstrates high sensitivity with a detection limit of 11.4 µM, wide linear range, good stability, and excellent selectivity even in the presence of the most problematic interference in UA assays (e.g., ascorbic acid and urea). The recovery tests using artificial biofluid-spiked UA samples also showed promising results for practical usage of the PANI-RC-based UA sensor.

Remote Cognitive Screening Of Healthy Older Adults for Primary Care With the MyCog Mobile App: Iterative Design and Usability Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Annual cognitive screening in adults aged >65 years can improve early detection of cognitive impairment, yet less than half of all cases are identified in primary care. Time constraints in primary care settings present a major barrier to routine screening. A remote cognitive screener completed on a patient's own smartphone before a visit has the potential to save primary care clinics time, encourage broader screening practices, and increase early detection of cognitive decline. OBJECTIVE: We described the iterative design and proposed the implementation of a remote cognitive screening app, MyCog Mobile, to be completed on a patient's smartphone before an annual wellness visit. The research questions were as follows: What would motivate primary care clinicians and clinic administrators to implement a remote cognitive screening process? How might we design a remote cognitive screener to fit well with existing primary care workflows? What would motivate an older adult patient to complete a cognitive screener on a smartphone before a primary care visit? How might we optimize the user experience of completing a remote cognitive screener on a smartphone for older adults? METHODS: To address research questions 1 and 2, we conducted individual interviews with clinicians (n=5) and clinic administrators (n=3). We also collaborated with clinic administrators to create user journey maps of their existing and proposed MyCog Mobile workflows. To address research questions 3 and 4, we conducted individual semistructured interviews with cognitively healthy older adults (n=5) and solicited feedback from a community stakeholder panel (n=11). We also tested and refined high-fidelity prototypes of the MyCog Mobile app with the older adult interview participants, who rated the usability on the Simplified System Usability Scale and After-Scenario Questionnaire. RESULTS: Clinicians and clinic administrators were motivated to adopt a remote cognitive screening process if it saved time in their workflows. Findings from interviews and user journey mapping informed the proposed implementation and core functionality of MyCog Mobile. Older adult participants were motivated to complete cognitive screeners to ensure that they were cognitively healthy and saw additional benefits to remote screening, such as saving time during their visit and privacy. Older adults also identified potential challenges to remote smartphone screening, which informed the user experience design of the MyCog Mobile app. The average rating across prototype versions was 91 (SD 5.18) on the Simplified System Usability Scale and 6.13 (SD 8.40) on the After-Scenario Questionnaire, indicating above-average usability. CONCLUSIONS: Through an iterative, human-centered design process, we developed a viable remote cognitive screening app and proposed an implementation strategy for primary care settings that was optimized for multiple stakeholders. The next steps include validating the cognitive screener in clinical and healthy populations and piloting the finalized app in a community primary care clinic.

The Use of Mobile-Based Ecological Momentary Assessment (mEMA) Methodology to Assess Dietary Intake, Food Consumption Behaviours and Context in Young People: A Systematic Review.

Mobile-based ecological momentary assessment (mEMA) offers a novel method for dietary assessment and may reduce recall bias and participant burden. This review evaluated mEMA methodology and the feasibility, acceptability and validity as a dietary assessment method in young people. Five databases were searched from January 2008 to September 2021 for studies including healthy young people aged 16-30 years and used mEMA for obtaining dietary intake data, food consumption behaviours and/or contextual factors. Data on the method used to administer mEMA, compliance with recording and validation were extracted. A total of 46 articles from 39 independent studies were included, demonstrating a wide variation in mEMA methods. Signal-contingent prompting (timed notification to record throughout the day) was used in 26 studies, 9 used event-contingent (food consumption triggered recordings), while 4 used both. Monitoring periods varied and most studies reported a compliance rate of 80% or more. Two studies found mEMA to be burdensome and six reported mEMA as easy to use. Most studies (31/39) reported using previously validated questions. mEMA appears to be a feasible and acceptable methodology to assess dietary intake and food consumption in near real time.

Format Effects of iPad Administration of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition: Cross-Sectional Evidence for Score Equivalency in Routine Clinical Practice.

OBJECTIVE: The literature lacks independent investigations of the influence of tablet administration of cognitive assessments in applied clinical settings. The present study examined the influence of iPad administration on (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition) WAIS-IV core subtest scores in a university-based clinic. METHOD: Record review was conducted for a convenience sample (N = 66) of university students who were administered the WAIS-IV via iPad or traditional format. Bayesian difference testing was used to evaluate the strength of the evidence for subtest score equivalence across groups. RESULTS: Evidence supported score equivalency for the 10 core subtests across administration groups (BF > 3). The one exception was digit span-forward condition, for which equivalence was supported (BF = 2.44), but did not meet cut-off criteria. CONCLUSIONS: iPad administration of WAIS-IV is unlikely to influence subtest scores in routine clinical practice with healthy young adults. Further independent research in diverse clinical populations is recommended.

Effectiveness of Text Message Interventions for Weight Management in Adolescents: Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of obesity among adolescents is increasing. Text messages are a primary communication form for adolescents and potentially a scalable strategy for delivering population health interventions. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of text message interventions in reducing BMI in adolescents and describe characteristics that are common to effective interventions. METHODS: This systematic review included randomized controlled trials of text message lifestyle interventions involving adolescents aged 10 to 19 years with outcomes focused on obesity prevention or management. Primary outcome was objective or self-report change in BMI. RESULTS: In total, 4362 records were identified, and 215 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. A total of 8 unique studies were identified, including 767 participants, mean age 14.3 (SD 0.9) years, BMI 29.7 (SD 1.6) kg/m2 and 53.1% (407/767) female (31/101, 30.7%-172/172, 100.0%). All interventions were multicomponent. The median active intervention period was 4.5 months. During the active and extended intervention phases, text messages accounted for >50% (8 studies) and >85% (3 studies) of contact points, respectively. Text messages were heterogeneous, with a median of 1.5 text messages sent per week (range: 1-21). A total of 4 studies utilized two-way text message communication with health professionals Of the 8 studies, 7 demonstrated reductions in BMI or BMI z-score in the intervention group compared with the control at the end of the final follow-up. The effect was only statistically significant in 1 study at 6 months. Over 6 months, reductions in BMI (kg/m2) ranged from 1.3% to 4.5% and BMI z-score ranged from 4.2% to 28.1%. Overall quality of the studies was low. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is required to elucidate the effectiveness and potential impact of text message interventions on weight and weight-related behaviors in adolescents.

Facile synthesis of battery waste-derived graphene for transparent and conductive film application by an electrochemical exfoliation method.

One of the emerging challenges in tackling environmental issues is to treat electronic waste, with fast-growing battery waste as a notable threat to the environment. Proper recycling processes, particularly the conversion of waste to useful & value-added materials, are of great importance but not readily available. In this work, we report a facile and fast production of graphene from graphite extracted from spent Zn-C batteries. The graphene flakes are produced by electrochemically exfoliating graphite under varying DC voltages in poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) solution of different concentrations. The exfoliation takes place via the insertion of PSS into the interlayers of graphite to form C-S bonds as confirmed by FTIR and XPS studies. Under an applied voltage of 5 V and in 0.5 M PSS, high quality graphene flakes are obtained in a good yield, giving an I D/I G ratio of about 0.86 in Raman spectroscopy. The transparent conductive film prepared from the dispersion of high quality graphene flakes shows great promise due to its low sheet resistance (R s) of 1.1 kΩ sq-1 and high transmittance of 89%. This work illustrates an effective and low-cost method to realize large scale production of graphene from electronic waste.

ZnO nanostructured materials for emerging solar cell applications.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) has been considered as one of the potential materials in solar cell applications, owing to its relatively high conductivity, electron mobility, stability against photo-corrosion and availability at low-cost. Different structures of ZnO materials have been engineered at the nanoscale, and then applied on the conducting substrate as a photoanode. On the other hand, the ZnO nanomaterials directly grown on the substrate have been attractive due to their unique electron pathways, which suppress the influence of surface states typically found in the former case. Herein, we review the recent progress of ZnO nanostructured materials in emerging solar cell applications, such as sensitized and heterojunction architectures, including those embedded with promising perovskite materials. The remarkable advancement in each solar cell architecture is highlighted towards achieving high power conversion efficiency and operational stability. We also discuss the foremost bottleneck for further improvements and the future outlook for large-scale practical applications.

Multiple forms of discrimination and postpartum depression among indigenous Palestinian-Arab, Jewish immigrants and non-immigrant Jewish mothers.

BACKGROUND: While discrimination takes multiple forms, racial or ethnic discrimination is a root cause of this health-damaging social phenomenon. We drew on intersectionality theory, which offers an account of discrimination's multiple effects, to consider associations between women's experiences of discrimination and postpartum depression (PPD) using four measures: single forms of discrimination (SFD); multiple forms of discrimination (MFD); ethnic discrimination combined with MFD (E-MFD); and a composite MFD that interacted with women's identity (C-MFD). METHODS: We interviewed a stratified sample of 1128 mothers face to face in 2014-2015 during mothers' visits to maternal and child health clinics. The mothers belonged to three groups in Israel: Palestinian-Arab minority, Jewish immigrant, and non-immigrant Jewish. We conducted unadjusted and adjusted logistic regressions for PPD, measured on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, in associations with SFD (experiencing discrimination based on any of the following: age, sex, class, ethno-national identity, religiosity level and skin color); MFD (experiencing 0,1, 2 or ≥ 3 of SFD); E-MFD (ethnic discrimination combined with other MFD); and finally, C-MFD (interaction between MFD and women's identity). RESULTS: Palestinian-Arab mothers had higher PPD and reported higher SFD (based on ethnicity, religiosity level, and socioeconomic status), as well as higher MFD and E-MFD. This was followed by Jewish immigrant mothers, and lastly by non-immigrant Jewish mothers. However, both MFD and E-MFD had a strong association with PPD among non-immigrant Jewish mothers reporting 2MFD and ≥ 3MFD, and Palestinian-Arab mothers reporting ≥3MFD, but no significant association among immigrant Jewish mothers. When we used C-MFD, we found a dose-response association in which Palestinian-Arab mothers experiencing more MFD (2MFD and ≥ 3MFD) were more likely to experience PPD. This was followed by immigrant Jewish mothers (reporting 2MFD and ≥ 3MFD), and lastly by non-immigrant Jewish mothers. CONCLUSIONS: MFD should be considered in relation to women's identity (being part of a minority, immigrant, or non-immigrant majority group) in maternal mental health research and practice. Otherwise, we risk underestimating the effects of MFD on PPD, especially in minority and immigrant mothers, who are more likely to face interlocking forms of discrimination.