A formal approach to AADL model-based software engineering

International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer - Formal methods have become a recommended practice in safety-critical software engineering. To be formally verified, a system should...     

Experiencing CSCL: from motivation to the embodied experience and beyond

International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning -     

Building community together: towards equitable CSCL practices and processes

International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning -     

Consistency,availability, and partition tolerance in blockchain: a survey on the consensus mechanism over peer-to-peer networking

Annals of Telecommunications - Blockchain is a disruptive technology that relies on the distributed nature of the peer-to-peer network while performing an agreement, or consensus, a mechanism to...     

Natural food mastication capability in preschool children according to their oral condition: A preliminary study

This study investigated, for the first time, the masticatory capability of preschool children using natural foods, and the impact of an early oral health alteration (early childhood caries: ECC) on the granulometry of ready-to-swallow food boluses. Thirteen children with ECC were compared to 13 preschool children with a healthy oral condition. Oral health criteria and NOT-S scores (Nordic Orofacial dysfunction Test-Screening) were recorded. For each child, number of masticatory cycles (Nc), chewing time (Ti), and frequency (Fq = Nc/Ti) were recorded during mastication of raw carrot (CAR), cheese (CHS) and breakfast cereals (CER) samples. Food boluses were collected by stopping children at their food-dependent individual swallowing threshold (Nc), and the median food bolus particle size value (D50) was calculated. Correlations were sought between oral health and masticatory criteria. In the ECC group, mean Fq values were significantly decreased for all three foods (p ≤ .001) and mean D50 values were significantly increased (p ≤ .001) compared to the control group (i.e., D50 CAR = 4,384 μm ± 929 vs. 2,960 μm ± 627). These alterations were related to the extent of ECC. The NOT-S mean global score was significantly increased in children with ECC (2.62 ± 1.37 vs. 1 ± 0.91 in the control group, p ≤ .01), due to “Mastication and swallowing” domain impairment. This study gives granulometric normative values for three foods in preschool children and shows the impact of ECC on D50 values. The progression of children's masticatory capability after dental treatment, and the impact of such modifications of sensory input on future eating habits should be explored.     

Editorial: Security and Privacy Protection for Mobile Applications and Platforms

Mobile Networks and Applications -     

Physicochemical Properties of Zwitterionic Drugs in Therapy

In solution, amphoteric compounds exist in anionic, uncharged, zwitterionic and cationic forms. The importance of zwitterionic drugs is currently under-represented in the literature. Herein, the acid-base parameters, lipophilicity and solubility of such compounds are discussed to deepen the molecular-level understanding of their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behaviour. Our recent studies show there are many drug molecules, including thyroid hormones and 5-hydroxytryptophan, the precursor of the neurotransmitter serotonin, for which the contribution of the zwitterionic microspecies to the overall lipophilicity exceeds that of the uncharged one, which is of higher individual lipophilicity, but occurs in much lower concentration. The second part of the minireview highlights the most important zwitterionic compounds in therapy, grouped into therapeutic classes. The importance of the charge of the molecules is emphasized in their binding to the target molecules.     

Potential Applications of Cucurbit[n]urils Inclusion Complexes in Photodynamic Therapy

Cucurbit[n]urils (CB[n]s) have emerged as potential candidates for drug delivery in several areas due to their strong binding interactions and low toxicity. More recently, their benefits for a type of cancer treatment termed Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) have been recognized. The outcomes of this therapy rely on better drug delivery strategies and improving overall photoactivity of the drugs, which is where CB[n]s could have a strong impact. The effects of these molecular containers on photoactivity are discussed and new interesting work is highlighted.     

Specific smartphone uses and how they relate to anxiety and depression in university students: a cross-cultural perspective

ABSTRACT

People around the world spend hours of their daily lives using smartphones; therefore, it is important to conduct cross-cultural research on the effects of smartphone use on health and well-being as culture influences values, motivations and communication patterns. The purpose of this study was to explore 5 popular uses of the smartphone – messaging, browsing the Internet, posting social content, reading social content, and playing games – how they relate to anxiety and depression scores, and how they vary depending on the country of the participants: Spain, the United States, and Colombia. In all three countries the ranking of most popular uses was the same: (1) Messaging, (2) Reading social content, and (3) Browsing the Internet. In the USA, game playing contributed to anxiety scores whereas reading social content was a protective factor; regarding depression scores, text messaging was a contributing factor. In Spain, browsing the Internet contributed to anxiety scores; regarding depression scores, messaging was a contributing factor and posting social content was a protective factor. In Colombia, no specific use influenced anxiety scores; regarding depression scores, only game playing was a protective factor. Our results showed that in all the countries, problematic smartphone use contributed to anxiety scores.     

Twenty Years Beyond the Turing Test: Moving Beyond the Human Judges Too

Minds and Machines - In the last 20 years the Turing test has been left further behind by new developments in artificial intelligence. At the same time, however, these developments have revived...