Using Personas in the development of eHealth interventions for chronic pain: A scoping review and narrative synthesis.

Objectives: Behavioral eHealth interventions can enhance self-management and improve well-being in people with chronic pain. The development of these interventions calls for a user-centered approach to ensure that patient needs are appreciated. However, it may be challenging to involve patients; particularly during the early stages of the process. Fictional user profiles, known as Personas, can represent needs and guide designing eHealth interventions. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the use of Personas in the development of behavioral eHealth interventions for people with chronic pain with the aim to identify benefits and challenges. Methods: Bibliographic databases (Medline, Web of Science Core Collection, PsycInfo, CINAHL) and registries (PubMed Central, medaRxiv) were systematically searched. In a double-reviewing process, n = 6830 hits and n = 351 full-texts were screened and read. Ten peer-reviewed studies published between 2017 and 2022 were included in the narrative synthesis. Findings: Ten studies reported using "Pain Personas" in the development of eHealth interventions for such purposes as to gain a shared understanding of the user and to discuss solutions in team meetings, or for patients to identify with (if Personas are included in the intervention). Personas were based on qualitative and/or quantitative data. However, the procedure for creating Personas was only described in half of the included studies (n = 5). These five studies provided descriptive details of the Personas (i.e., picture, name, narrative of their pain behavior, technological skills, and motivation). Conclusions: Although Personas have been used by pain researchers in recent projects and were highlighted as an important ingredient in the development process, available design guidelines for the creation and use of Personas are not followed or communicated transparently. Benefits and challenges when using Personas in the development of eHealth interventions for people with chronic pain are discussed to support future eHealth efforts and to improve the quality of eHealth innovation in the field of pain.

Impact of PEGDA photopolymerization in micro-stereolithography on 3D printed hydrogel structure and swelling.

3D printing complex architectures of responsive-hydratable polymers are enabled by stereolithography via photopolymerization. Yet, insufficient crosslinking leads to compromised structural integrity of the photopolymerized samples, which affects the functionality and reliability of hydrogel devices significantly. Here we investigate how curing parameters and ink formulation affect 3D printed PEGDA samples by using a combination of microfabrication, structural characterization, and reactive coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation. Our findings show that the degree of curing exhibits a graded profile from confocal Raman spectroscopy and submicron pores from atomic force microscopy, both of which are also observed in our molecular simulations. Moreover, with environmental scanning electron microscopy, we probe the microscopic swelling and bending dynamics of 3D printed hydratable PEGDA structures as well as their structural integrity. Our in-depth characterization results reveal how hydrogel elasticity and irreversible densification due to pore formation highly depends on the exposure time, light intensity and the associated degree of crosslinking. This work provides new molecular insights into processing-structure relation in stereolithography 3D printing.

A novel red pigment from marine Arthrobacter sp. G20 with specific anticancer activity.

AIMS: Bacterial pigments are promising compounds in the prevention and treatment of various cancers. In the current study, the antioxidant, cytotoxic and antimicrobial effects of a red pigment obtained from a marine bacterial strain were investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Optimization of the pigment production by the marine strain was conducted using the one-factor-at-a-time approach. Chemical identification of the pigment was achieved by UV-visible, FTIR and HPLC analyses. The biological activities of the pigment were evaluated by DPPH, MTT and microbroth dilution assays. The strain was identified as Arthrobacter, and its pigment was related to carotenoids. The EC50 antioxidant activity of the pigment was evaluated as 4·5 mg ml-1 . It showed moderate anticancer effects on an oesophageal cancer cell line, KYSE30, while no inhibition was observed on normal HDF (human dermal fibroblasts) cells. The pigment had no antibacterial effects on the four tested strains. CONCLUSION: The antitumour activity of a carotenoid-related pigment from Arthrobacter sp. was reported for the first time. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Marine environments are interesting sources for the identification of novel bioproducts. The identification of carotenoid pigments from marine bacteria with remarkable antioxidant and anticancer activities would result in better insights into the potential pharmaceutical applications of carotenoids and marine environments.

An examination of two positive organizational interventions: For whom do these interventions work?

Owing to the importance of employee psychological well-being for a variety of work- and non-work-related outcomes, practitioners and scholars have begun to broaden the scope of workplace well-being interventions by incorporating principles from positive psychology. Among such positive interventions, gratitude exercises have arguably emerged as the "gold standard" practice, with much research pointing to their effectiveness. However, existing workplace interventions lack a true (i.e., no intervention) control group, and effects have been observed for some-but not all-outcomes tested. Therefore, the purpose of this brief report was to conduct a concise but methodologically rigorous evaluation of the effectiveness of 2 positive psychology workplace interventions in improving employee affect, and to examine potential moderators of intervention effectiveness. Ninety-two employees in a large social services agency were assigned to (a) a gratitude intervention, (b) an intervention in which participants alternated between the gratitude activity and one involving increasing social connectedness, or (c) a wait list control condition, for 1 month. Neither intervention produced a main effect on any of the 3 affective outcomes measured. However, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and job tenure were significant moderators of intervention effectiveness. We discuss the implications of these preliminary results in an effort to advance the literature on workplace positive psychology interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record

Hydroalcoholic extract of Carum carvi L. in oral mucositis: a clinical trial in male golden hamsters.

OBJECTIVES: Several studies have attempted to prevent or improve oral mucositis (OM) but have not produced a qualified treatment yet. This study evaluates the effects of Carum carvi L. (caraway) hydroalcoholic extract (CHE) as one of the traditional medicinal plants in 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced OM in golden hamsters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: OM was induced in 54 male golden hamsters by 5-FU and cheek pouch scratching. Starting from day 12, 500 and 1000 mg kg(-1) per day topical CHE were administered. Pouch histopathology score, malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione contents, and activity of myeloperoxidase plus microbial cultures of cheek pouch, antimicrobial properties of CHE, and essential oil constituents were evaluated. RESULTS: Lower histopathology score (0, 1, and 2) and malondialdehyde level, higher reduced glutathione level and activities of myeloperoxidase were detected in 1000 and 500 mg kg(-1) per day topical CHE and control groups, respectively (P < 0.001). The CHE was more potent against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Streptococcus intermedius. γ-Terpinene (37.2%) was identified as the main constituent of essential oil. CONCLUSION: The use of CHE in topical form may be associated with reduced intensity of OM. This may be due to appropriate antibacterial activity and terpinene contents.