This paper describes the development process of a mobile app-based version of the World Health Organization mental health Gap Action Programme Intervention Guide, testing of the app prototypes, and its functionality in the assessment and management of people with mental health conditions in Nepal. Health workers’ perception of feasibility and acceptability of using mobile technology in mental health care was assessed during the inspiration phase (N = 43); the ideation phase involved the creation of prototypes; and prototype testing was conducted over multiple rounds with 15 healthcare providers. The app provides provisional diagnoses and treatment options based on reported symptoms. Participants found the app prototype useful in reminding them of the process of assessment and management of mental disorders. Some challenges were noted, these included a slow app prototype with multiple technical problems, including difficulty in navigating ‘yes’/‘no’ options, and there were challenges reviewing detailed symptoms of a particular disorder using a “more information” icon. The initial feasibility work suggests that if the technical issues are addressed, the e-mhGAP warrants further research to understand if it is a useful method in improving the detection of people with mental health conditions and initiation of evidence-based treatment in primary healthcare facilities.

Parents of children with cognitive disabilities and professionals from specialized institutions both face a lack of adapted educative tools for these children. Dealing with this situation, one parent has set up a collaborative project to create digital tools based on the latest advances of the scientific research. Recent studies have shown the appetite of these children for digital supports, with increased motivation and attention with tablet support compared to classic support. Starting from this observation, a team of ABA psychologists, speech therapists, teachers and IT engineers has designed a multidisciplinary tool, which has been tested by parents and professionals from specialized institutions. We will present two projects, one that took place in institutions, the other that took place in schools. These two projects aimed to assess how digital tools can be used for deploying the best practices and promoting inclusive education, in line with scientific research. LearnEnjoy proposed a pilot project between October 2013 and October 2014 in connection with 22 specialized institutions and volunteer families. This experimentation showed that tablets and the LearnEnjoy educational applications create a dynamic in professional teams, between parents and professionals, and between professionals and service users. This device provides additional structuring of work and facilitates the transmission of information. It also helps to spread the culture of evaluation within specialized institutions. LearnEnjoy also worked in collaboration with the French Education Ministry for the project Educare. This project aimed to support the inclusive school and individual monitoring, through regular monitoring of student progress and the establishment of an adapted school report book respectful of the National Education program. This project took place in 13 structures, ordinary and specialized classes. This experimentation showed that LearnEnjoy educational applications are beneficial for both students and teachers and create a positive dynamic in the classroom.

“Autism” refers to a wide variety of disabilities, with numerous possible clinical signs and heterogeneous origins. Nevertheless, beyond those diverse clinical signs, a consensus exists concerning the necessity of interventions, particularly educational interventions, for people with autism . In a society such as ours, turned towards digital technologies and tactile devices, (e.g. ), it is important to question the use of these technologies with people with developmental disabilities. Especially as some authors pointed the utility of these devices for teaching skills . Various theoretical corpuses and elements of the scientific literature were taken into account and integrated to develop the LearnEnjoy applications, created initially for children with autism. These facts and knowledge, linked to the peculiarities of people with autism, to the functional approach of language, to the fundamental principles of learning, to an ABA approach, were integrated from the first stages of the development of the applications, to create tools having solid scientific foundations. This way, the LearnEnjoy apps give the users (i.e. the “teachers”) the possibilities of teaching in a progressive and coherent way, different skills such as language (receptive, expressive), imitation, play and motricity, cognitive, academic skills or even independence skills. They also allow the progress in each area to be shared with the parents and the whole team, a necessary feature for the implementation of global and coordinated interventions. Finally, and maybe more importantly, these applications were created so as to specifically foster the contact between the person with autism and the “teacher”. This way the apps, at the same time, reduce the risk of pervasiveness of the tactile tablet, while favouring, just as much for the person with autism than for the accompanying person, the development of a positive, structured and structuring social relationship.

Smartphone ownership estimates indicate the vast majority of young people are engaging with smartphone devices. The medium offers a promising opportunity for psychologists to connect with young people seeking help to traverse challenges with mental health, behaviour, learning and wellbeing. However, the views of young people using apps alongside face-to-face therapy remain largely unexplored. Given that clients make the single strongest contribution to therapeutic outcomes it is important to consider the perspectives of adolescents in clinical settings. Using semistructured qualitative interviews, the experiences of seven Australian secondary school-aged adolescents (12–18 years) involved in app-integrated therapy were explored. Thematic analysis resulted in the identification of eight key themes: Between-sessions, Introduction, Responsive, Age, Mindfulness-Meditation, Connection, Knowledge, and App features. Recommending apps appears to encourage young people to take ownership of their therapy, affording opportunities for self-reflection and rehearsal of valuable skills. Further research focused on understanding the views of young people utilising apps with therapy is needed to maximise potential therapeutic benefits. Preliminary practice recommendations and future research directions are proposed.

The design of topologically optimized structures is straightforward, although the main problem is really to derive the correct structure in each instance. During the development of structures for additive manufacturing in particular, saving weight is crucial because weight is proportional to cost.

In this contribution firstly, different approaches to topological optimization are presented and discussed. While computer-assisted tools provide high accuracy and demand defined conditions, approaches utilizing a pen and paper can be conducted relatively quickly, although these only provide little guidance.

Secondly, a new approach is presented which is advantageous with regard to effort and affordability, yet which maintains an accuracy of results. To support the designer, an artificial neural network is trained to adapt suitable Michell structures within a given design area. These structures depict optimal paths to conduct the loads through a component and provide guidance in designing an appropriate topology.

Evaluation has demonstrated that this new approach is capable of supporting designers in achieving lightweight structures.

Many studies have demonstrated that vocabulary size plays a key role in learning English as a foreign language (EFL). In recent years, mobile game-based learning (MGBL) has been considered a promising scheme for successful acquisition and retention of knowledge. Thus, this study applies a mixed methodology that combines quantitative and qualitative approaches to assess the effects of PHONE Words, a novel mobile English vocabulary learning app (application) designed with game-related functions (MEVLA-GF) and without game-related functions (MEVLA-NGF), on learners’ perceptions and learning performance. During a four-week experiment, 20 sophomore students were randomly assigned to the experimental group with MEVLA-GF support or the control group with MEVLA-NGF support for English vocabulary learning. Analytical results show that performance in vocabulary acquisition and retention by the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group. Moreover, questionnaire results confirm that MEVLA-GF is more effective and satisfying for English vocabulary learning than MEVLA-NGF. Spearman rank correlation results show that involvement and dependence on gamified functions were positively correlated with vocabulary learning performance.

We used a mouse model of pathogenic (Staphylococcus aureus) and non-pathogenic (teat sealing) mammary inflammation to investigate mRNA expression of several inflammatory cytokines and acute phase proteins (APP) in mammary tissue and liver, and the appearance of some of these factors in plasma and milk. The expression levels of IL1β and TNFα were markedly up-regulated in Staph. aureus-inoculated mammary tissue at 72 h, whilst IL6 was up-regulated to a lesser extent in a way which was not confined to the inoculated glands. APP expression was up-regulated at 48 and 72 h in both Staph. aureus-inoculated and teat-sealed mammary glands. These differences between cytokine and APP expression provide additional support for the contention that APPs are produced within the mammary tissue itself during inflammation, rather than in associated immune cells. We propose that measurement of cytokines and APP in combination might provide a tool for diagnostic discrimination between mastitis caused by pathogenic invasion and milk accumulation, and hence allow for better targeting of antibiotic therapy. In comparison with mammary expression, expression of cytokines in liver tissue was up-regulated to a similar or lesser extent, whilst expression of APP was up-regulated to a much greater extent. The first appearance of increased cytokine and APP concentrations in plasma and of milk amyloid A (MAA) in milk occurred in advance of the measurable up-regulation of expression, hence their origin cannot be stated with certainty.

Familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) accounts for 5–10% of deaths from Alzheimer's disease (AD), and approximately 50% of these cases have been definitely linked to missense mutations in three genes, encoding the amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin 1 (PS1) and presenilin 2 (PS2). Of these, the vast majority of FAD-linked mutations are within PS1. There has been an extensive effort to identify proteins that functionally interact with PS1 and PS2 because of their clear roles in FAD. The goal of this review is to describe these proteins and to discuss in more detail the probable biological functions of a subset of the better-studied interacting proteins. In particular, the review examines APP, Notch, nicastrin, modifier of cellular adhesion (MOCA), β-catenin, and the group of proteins involved in cell death, calcium metabolism and cell adhesion. We argue that, although a few of the interacting proteins are unambiguously involved in well-studied cellular pathways, their exact roles within these pathways have not been clearly defined, and indeed might vary between cell types. We also question the physiological relevance of some of the work linking PS to cell death pathways. Finally, we point out the value of using flies and worms to sort out the often contradictory work in the PS field, and we mention how knowledge of PS-interacting pathways will contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies in AD.