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Pryss R, Schlee W, Reichert M, Probst T, Langguth B, Spiliopoulou M. Editorial: Smart mobile data collection in the context of neuroscience, volume II. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1259632. [PMID: 37588517 PMCID: PMC10425537 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1259632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rüdiger Pryss
- Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Institute of Medical Data Science, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Winfried Schlee
- Institute for Information and Process Management, Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, St. Gallen, Switzerland
- Clinic and Policlinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Manfred Reichert
- Institute of Databases and Information Systems, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Thomas Probst
- Division of Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Berthold Langguth
- Clinic and Policlinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Myra Spiliopoulou
- Knowledge Management Discovery Lab, Otto-von-Guericke- University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
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Lalani B, Gray S, Mitra-Ganguli T. Systems Thinking in an era of climate change: Does cognitive neuroscience hold the key to improving environmental decision making? A perspective on Climate-Smart Agriculture. Front Integr Neurosci 2023; 17:1145744. [PMID: 37181865 PMCID: PMC10174047 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2023.1145744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Systems Thinking (ST) can be defined as a mental construct that recognises patterns and connections in a particular complex system to make the "best decision" possible. In the field of sustainable agriculture and climate change, higher degrees of ST are assumed to be associated with more successful adaptation strategies under changing conditions, and "better" environmental decision making in a number of environmental and cultural settings. Future climate change scenarios highlight the negative effects on agricultural productivity worldwide, particularly in low-income countries (LICs) situated in the Global South. Alongside this, current measures of ST are limited by their reliance on recall, and are prone to possible measurement errors. Using Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), as an example case study, in this article we explore: (i) ST from a social science perspective; (ii) cognitive neuroscience tools that could be used to explore ST abilities in the context of LICs; (iii) an exploration of the possible correlates of systems thinking: observational learning, prospective thinking/memory and the theory of planned behaviour and (iv) a proposed theory of change highlighting the integration of social science frameworks and a cognitive neuroscience perspective. We find, recent advancements in the field of cognitive neuroscience such as Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) provide exciting potential to explore previously hidden forms of cognition, especially in a low-income country/field setting; improving our understanding of environmental decision-making and the ability to more accurately test more complex hypotheses where access to laboratory studies is severely limited. We highlight that ST may correlate with other key aspects involved in environmental decision-making and posit motivating farmers via specific brain networks would: (a) enhance understanding of CSA practices (e.g., via the frontoparietal network extending from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) to the parietal cortex (PC) a control hub involved in ST and observational learning) such as tailoring training towards developing improved ST abilities among farmers and involving observational learning more explicitly and (b) motivate farmers to use such practices [e.g., via the network between the DLPFC and nucleus accumbens (NAc)] which mediates reward processing and motivation by focussing on a reward/emotion to engage farmers. Finally, our proposed interdisciplinary theory of change can be used as a starting point to encourage discussion and guide future research in this space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baqir Lalani
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Baqir Lalani
| | - Steven Gray
- Department of Community Sustainability, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
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Karthan M, Martin R, Holl F, Swoboda W, Kestler HA, Pryss R, Schobel J. Enhancing mHealth data collection applications with sensing capabilities. Front Public Health 2022; 10:926234. [PMID: 36187627 PMCID: PMC9521646 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.926234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Smart mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets have become an important factor for collecting data in complex health scenarios (e.g., psychological studies, medical trials), and are more and more replacing traditional pen-and-paper instruments. However, simply digitizing such instruments does not yet realize the full potential of mobile devices: most modern smartphones have a variety of different sensor technologies (e.g., microphone, GPS data, camera, ...) that can also provide valuable data and potentially valuable insights for the medical purpose or the researcher. In this context, a significant development effort is required to integrate sensing capabilities into (existing) data collection applications. Developers may have to deal with platform-specific peculiarities (e.g., Android vs. iOS) or proprietary sensor data formats, resulting in unnecessary development effort to support researchers with such digital solutions. Therefore, a cross-platform mobile data collection framework has been developed to extend existing data collection applications with sensor capabilities and address the aforementioned challenges in the process. This framework will enable researchers to collect additional information from participants and environment, increasing the amount of data collected and drawing new insights from existing data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Karthan
- DigiHealth Institute, Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences, Neu-Ulm, Germany,Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany,*Correspondence: Maximilian Karthan
| | - Robin Martin
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Felix Holl
- DigiHealth Institute, Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences, Neu-Ulm, Germany,Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Walter Swoboda
- DigiHealth Institute, Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences, Neu-Ulm, Germany
| | - Hans A. Kestler
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Pryss
- Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Schobel
- DigiHealth Institute, Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences, Neu-Ulm, Germany
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Pryss R, Langguth B, Probst T, Schlee W, Spiliopoulou M, Reichert M. Editorial: Smart Mobile Data Collection in the Context of Neuroscience. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:698597. [PMID: 34113236 PMCID: PMC8185150 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.698597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rüdiger Pryss
- Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Berthold Langguth
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Probst
- Department for Psychotherapy and Biopsychosocial Health, Danube University Krems, Krems an der Donau, Austria
| | - Winfried Schlee
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Myra Spiliopoulou
- Institute of Technical and Business Information Systems, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Manfred Reichert
- Institute of Databases and Information Systems, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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Weierstall R, Crombach A, Nandi C, Bambonyé M, Probst T, Pryss R. Effective Adoption of Tablets for Psychodiagnostic Assessments in Rural Burundi: Evidence for the Usability and Validity of Mobile Technology in the Example of Differentiating Symptom Profiles in AMISOM Soldiers 1 Year After Deployment. Front Public Health 2021; 9:490604. [PMID: 33937159 PMCID: PMC8083058 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.490604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on the use of mobile technology in health sciences has identified several advantages of so-called mHealth (mobile health) applications. Tablet-supported clinical assessments are becoming more and more prominent in clinical applications, even in low-income countries. The present study used tablet computers for assessments of clinical symptom profiles in a sample of Burundian AMISOM soldiers (i.e., African Union Mission to Somalia; a mission approved by the UN). The study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of mHealth-supported assessments in field research in Burundi. The study was conducted in a resource-poor setting, in which tablet computers are predestined to gather data in an efficient and reliable manner. The overall goal was to prove the validity of the obtained data as well as the feasibility of the chosen study setting. Four hundred sixty-three soldiers of the AMISOM forces were investigated after return from a 1-year military mission in Somalia. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression were assessed. The used data-driven approach based on a latent profile analysis revealed the following four distinct groups, which are based on the soldiers' PTSD and depression symptom profiles: Class 1: moderate PTSD, Class 2: moderate depression, Class 3: low overall symptoms, and Class 4: high overall symptoms. Overall, the four identified classes of soldiers differed significantly in their PTSD and depression scores. The study clearly demonstrates that tablet-supported assessments can provide a useful application of mobile technology in large-scale studies, especially in resource-poor settings. Based on the data collected for the study at hand, it was possible to differentiate different sub-groups of soldiers with distinct symptom profiles, proving the statistical validity of the gathered data. Finally, advantages and challenges for the application of mobile technology in a resource-poor setting are outlined and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anselm Crombach
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Clinical Psychology, University Lumière de Bujumbura, Bujumbura, Burundi
| | - Corina Nandi
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Manassé Bambonyé
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University Lumière de Bujumbura, Bujumbura, Burundi
| | - Thomas Probst
- Department for Psychotherapy and Biopsychosocial Health, Danube University Krems, Krems, LA, Austria
| | - Rüdiger Pryss
- Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Lee S, Kim E, Desta TB. Gaps in Team Communication About Service Statistics Among Health Extension Workers in Ethiopia: Secondary Data Analysis. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2020; 8:e20848. [PMID: 32897231 PMCID: PMC7509634 DOI: 10.2196/20848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In Ethiopia, health extension workers (HEWs) are deployed across the country by the government to meet public health needs. Team communication is important for effective teamwork, but community health workers in low-resource settings like Ethiopia may face challenges in carrying out team meetings to compile service statistics. This is due to the nature of their outreach activities, which requires extensive travel. Objective This study aimed to identify gaps in team communication about service statistics among HEWs in Ethiopia. Considering mobile communication and data collection as tools for bridging these gaps, we examined disparities in access to electricity, which has been identified as one of the major barriers to this approach. Methods Data from the most recent Performance Monitoring and Accountability 2020 service delivery point survey were used for our analysis. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify disparities in team communication on service statistics for family planning, which is a major component of the HEW’s job. Disparities were examined across health facilities with different levels of HEW integration in their staffing structure (ie, no HEWs, at least one HEW, or only HEWs). Additionally, a chi-square test was conducted to examine disparities in access to electricity to explore the potential of mobile communication and data collection integration. Results In total, 427 health facilities of four different types (ie, hospitals, health centers, health posts, and health clinics) were included in our analysis. At most health posts (84/95, 88%), only HEWs were employed; none of the health clinics integrated the HEW model into their staffing structure. Among the 84 health posts, the odds of having team meetings on family planning service statistics in the past 12 months were 0.48 times the odds of those without HEWs (P=.02). No statistically significant differences were found between HEW-only facilities and facilities with at least one HEW. Most health facilities (69/83, 83.13%) with HEWs as the only staff had no electricity at the time of the survey while 71.25% (57/80) had intermittent access (ie, service disruption lasting 2 or more hours that day). There were statistically significant differences in electricity access among health facilities with different levels of HEW integration (P<.001). Conclusions Facilities employing only HEWs were less likely to have regular team meetings to discuss service statistics. Since their responsibilities involve extensive outreach activities, travel, and paper-based recordkeeping, empowering HEWs with mobile communication and data collection can be a workable solution. The empirical evidence regarding disparities in electricity access also supports the need for and the feasibility of this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eunji Kim
- Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea
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McMurtry S, Fiedler G. Comparison of lower limb segment forces during running on artificial turf and natural grass. J Rehabil Assist Technol Eng 2019; 6:2055668319835701. [PMID: 31245032 PMCID: PMC6582296 DOI: 10.1177/2055668319835701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Artificial turf, soon after being introduced in the 1980s, became associated
with an increased injury incidence in football players. While more recent
generations of artificial turf have mitigated the problem, perception of the
material is still widely negative. So, the decision to play the 2015
Fe'de'ration Internationale de Football Association Women s World Cup in
Canada on artificial turf was met with vocal criticism by many players. One
common approach is to assess injury incidence to quantify risk differences
in playing surfaces. This, however, does not account for possible
confounding variables or chronic injuries. Direct measurement of ground
reaction forces is difficult because conventional multicamera-based motion
capture and force plate equipment are limited in its use outside of
dedicated laboratories. Methods: We describe a method of generating realistic force data by using miniature
load cells that are installed directly into the weight-bearing structure of
the body. Results: Pilot data show a significant (p<0.01) difference in peak forces on
artificial turf (272% of body weight) and natural grass (229% of body
weight). Discussion: Invasive surgical procedures were avoided by installing the load cell into
the prosthesis of an athlete with lower limb loss. As modern prosthetic
devices allow a close approximation of able-bodied kinematics and kinetics,
such prosthesis-based data are transferable to a general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shea McMurtry
- Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Goeran Fiedler
- Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Grant AS, Kennedy RD, Spires MH, Cohen JE. The Development and Piloting of a Mobile Data Collection Protocol to Assess Compliance With a National Tobacco Advertising, Promotion, and Product Display Ban at Retail Venues in the Russian Federation. JMIR Res Protoc 2016; 5:e120. [PMID: 27580800 PMCID: PMC5023945 DOI: 10.2196/resprot.5302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Revised: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tobacco control policies that lead to a significant reduction in tobacco industry marketing can improve public health by reducing consumption of tobacco and preventing initiation of tobacco use. Laws that ban or restrict advertising and promotion in point-of-sale (POS) environments, in the moment when consumers decide whether or not to purchase a tobacco product, must be correctly implemented to achieve the desired public health benefits. POS policy compliance assessments can support implementation; however, there are challenges to conducting evaluations that are rigorous, cost-effective, and timely. Data collection must be discreet, accurate, and systematic, and ideally collected both before and after policies take effect. The use of mobile phones and other mobile technology provide opportunities to efficiently collect data and support effective tobacco control policies. The Russian Federation (Russia) passed a comprehensive national tobacco control law that included a ban on most forms of tobacco advertising and promotion, effective November 15, 2013. The legislation further prohibited the display of tobacco products at retail trade sites and eliminated kiosks as a legal trade site, effective June 1, 2014. Objective The objective of the study was to develop and test a mobile data collection protocol including: (1) retailer sampling, (2) adaptation of survey instruments for mobile phones, and (3) data management protocols. Methods Two waves of observations were conducted; wave 1 took place during April-May 2014, after the advertising and promotion bans were effective, and again in August-September 2014, after the product display ban and elimination of tobacco sales in kiosks came into effect. Sampling took place in 5 Russian cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, and Kazan. Lack of access to a comprehensive list of licensed tobacco retailers necessitated a sampling approach that included the development of a walking protocol to identify tobacco retailers to observe. Observation instruments were optimized for use on mobile devices and included the collection of images/photos and the geographic location of retailers. Data were uploaded in real-time to a remote (“cloud-based”) server accessible via Internet and verified with the use of a data management protocol that included submission of daily field notes from the research team for review by project managers. Results The walking protocol was a practical means of identifying 780 relevant retail venues in Russia, in the absence of reliable sampling resources. Mobile phones were convenient tools for completing observation checklists discretely and accurately. Daily field notes and meticulous oversight of collected data were critical to ensuring data quality. Conclusions Mobile technology can support timely and accurate data collection and also help monitor data quality through the use of real-time uploads. These protocols can be adapted to assess compliance with other types of public health policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley S Grant
- Institute for Global Tobacco Control, Department of Health, Behavior & Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MA, United States
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Abstract
Mobile health technology, specifically Short Message Service (SMS), provides a low-cost medium to transmit data in real time. SMS has been used for data collection by highly literate and educated health care workers in low-resource countries; however, no previous studies have evaluated implementation of an SMS intervention by low-literacy providers. The Liberian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare identified a lack of accurate data on the number of pregnancies from rural areas. To capture these data from 11 rural communities in Liberia, 66 low-literate traditional midwives and 15 high-literate certified midwives were trained to report data via SMS. Data were reported via a 9-digit code sent from Java-based mobile phones. Study aims included determining the following components of SMS transmission: success rate, accuracy, predictors of successful transmission, and acceptance. Success rate of SMS transmission was significantly higher for certified midwives than for traditional midwives. The error rate was significantly higher for traditional midwives than for certified midwives. Years of education was the only predictor of successful SMS transmission. Traditional midwives and certified midwives accepted the intervention, although certified midwives found it easier to use. Certified midwives performed significantly better than did traditional midwives. SMS texting interventions should be targeted to health care workers with higher rates of literacy.
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