Digital Games and Mental Health

As more and more people worldwide play online games, identifying how games can help or harm players' mental health can be helpful for researchers and clinicians developing digital therapies through gaming. This chapter summarizes a scoping review focused on the relationship between digital games and mental health in the last decade. This type of review is designed to provide an overview of the existing evidence base on a particular topic. Of the 115 records selected after the first screening, 21 studies were included according to the inclusion criteria defined by the authors. From this scoping study, it is possible to recommend that even though video games are a real risk for addiction, they can work as digital therapies for psychosocial rehabilitation when administered with precaution in groups with mental disorders such as depression, high levels of anxiety, and ADHD. For this, a rigorous clinical assessment should be conducted that makes appropriate use of gamer typologies and evaluates the individual, emotional, and social factors that impact gamer behavior.

Informing School Rehabilitation Professionals

The importance of appropriate use of test accommodations has drawn researchers to look closely for empirical evidence that supports the appropriateness and effectiveness of current accommodation practices over the last three decades. To inform teacher candidates enrolled in special education courses as well as school rehabilitation professionals who may or may not be new to the field, this chapter synthesizes research findings on the effectiveness of major accommodation categories and discusses how to make valid decisions for students with diverse special learning needs.

Effectiveness of Clinical Decision Support Systems on the Appropriate Use of Imaging for Central Nervous System Injuries: A Systematic Review

Background One of the best practices for timely and efficient diagnoses of central nervous system (CNS) trauma and complex diseases is imaging. However, rates of imaging for CNS are high and impose a lot of costs to health care facilities in addition to exposing patients with negative impact of ionizing radiation. Objectives This study aimed to systematically review the effects and features of clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) for the appropriate use of imaging for CNS injuries. Method We searched MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Cochrane without time period restriction. We included experimental and quasiexperimental studies that assessed the effectiveness of CDSSs designed for the appropriate use of imaging for CNS injuries in any clinical setting, including primary, emergency, and specialist care. The outcomes were categorized based on imaging-related, physician-related, and patient-related groups. Result A total of 3,223 records were identified through the online literature search. Of the 55 potential papers for the full-text review, 11 eligible studies were included. Reduction of CNS imaging proportion varied from 2.6 to 40% among the included studies. Physician-related outcomes, including guideline adherence, diagnostic yield, and knowledge, were reported in five studies, and all demonstrated positive impact of CDSSs. Four studies had addressed patient-related outcomes, including missed or delayed diagnosis, as well as length of stay. These studies reported a very low rate of missed diagnosis due to the cancellation of computed tomography (CT) examine according to the CDSS recommendations. Conclusion This systematic review reports that CDSSs decrease the utilization of CNS CT scan, while increasing physicians' adherence to the rules. However, the possible harm of CDSSs to patients was not well addressed by the included studies and needs additional investigation. The actual effect of CDSSs on appropriate imaging would be realized when the saved cost of examinations is compared with the cost of missed diagnosis.

BIM Structural Project Applied in A Case Study: Interoperability Analyses, Reinforcement Detailing Drawings and Quantity Take-off

Background: The Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodology has been acquiring, worldwide, a growing acceptance in all sectors of the Construction industry, and the study intends to contribute to its implementation within the structural design. The fundamental concept of BIM is based on the generation of a centralized virtual model with all information concerning different specialties. This is supported in efficient interoperability, but within the structural design, this aspect is difficult to achieve completely, as currently, the interoperability of this system is still inefficient. Introduction: This study intends to analyze the degree of interoperability verified in the development of all the processes (modelling, transposition, structural analyses and reinforcement detailing) involved in a structural design using BIM tools. Methods: A structural project concerning a study case was performed in order to identify benefits and limitations, based on the consistency analysis of the transposed data between systems, Revit and Robot, in all steps required in a BIM process. This text describes the stages of modelling, checking the suitability of the analytical model, its transference to the analysis tool in order to proceed with the structural calculations and detailing drawings and, finally, the transfer of drawings to the main BIM model. Results: The limitations verified in the last stage were partially surpassed with complementary work enabling the automatic transfer of drawings and quantities of materials. In addition, the study explores new capacities of BIM, namely, the extraction of information allowing the presentation of specific drawings and maps of the geometry of the reinforcement rods. Conclusion: This study identifies a working strategy that leads to an appropriate use of BIM software contributing to the optimization of labor in a structural office.

Classifications of Iris L. genus at the biological and molecular levels as a basis for modern phylogenetic studies

Aim. To analyze and summarize literature data on the state of classification and taxonomy of Iris genus plants of Iridaceae family.Results and discussion. The genus Iris L. is one of the largest species of Iridaceae Juss family, which includes 1,800 species of 80 genera. Despite the fact that plants are very common as ornamental plants, there is currently no single classification for both horticultural and wild species of Iris genus. Various classifications and systems of irises have been proposed, the main difference between them is related to the understanding of the genus scope. The taxonomy of Iris genus underwent dramatic changes in the last century, especially in recent decades after the introduction of molecular methods. This paper deals with the analysis of current literature data on the existing classifications of Iris genus plants, the correspondence between taxonomic studies and the results of recent molecular studies. The data presented summarize the traditional classifications according to Rodionenko and Matthew, and also describe modern achievements in phylogenetic studies of this genus using functional genomic studies, involving molecular markers in irises. Conclusions. The data analyzed and summarized in the article can be useful for solving issues of taxonomy, phylogeny, genetics and practical problems of selection of plants of Iris genus; in addition, they will contribute to a more appropriate use of the Iris raw material in practical pharmacy.

Heterothermy in a Small Passerine: Eastern Yellow Robins Use Nocturnal Torpor in Winter

Torpor is a controlled reduction of metabolism and body temperature, and its appropriate use allows small birds to adapt to and survive challenging conditions. However, despite its great energy conservation potential, torpor use by passerine birds is understudied although they are small and comprise over half of extant bird species. Here, we first determined whether a free-living, small ∼20 g Australian passerine, the eastern yellow robin (Eopsaltria australis), expresses torpor by measuring skin temperature (Ts) as a proxy for body temperature. Second, we tested if skin temperature fluctuated in relation to ambient temperature (Ta). We found that the Ts of eastern yellow robins fluctuated during winter by 9.1 ± 3.9°C on average (average minimum Ts 30.1 ± 2.3°C), providing the first evidence of torpor expression in this species. Daily minimum Ts decreased with Ta, reducing the estimated metabolic rate by as much as 32%. We hope that our results will encourage further studies to expand our knowledge on the use of torpor in wild passerines. The implications of such studies are important because species with highly flexible energy requirements may have an advantage over strict homeotherms during the current increasing frequency of extreme and unpredictable weather events, driven by changing climate.