Free App Research Articles

Obsolete or Opportunity? Challenging Perceptions of Device Usefulness

Abstract: Obsolete devices add to the rising levels of electronic waste, a major environ- mental concern, and a contributing factor to climate change. In recent years, device manufacturers have established environmental commitments and launched initiatives such as supporting the recycling of obsolete devices by making more ways available for consum- ers to safely dispose of their old devices. However, little support is available for individuals who want to continue using legacy or ‘end-of-life’ devices and few studies have explored the usefulness of these older devices, the barriers to their continued use and the associated user experiences. With a human-computer interaction lens, this paper reflects on device usefulness as a function of utility and usability, and on the barriers to continued device use and app installation. Additionally, the paper contributes insights from a sequel study that extends on prior work evaluating app functionality of a ‘vintage’ Apple device with new empirical data on app downloadability and functionality for the same device when newly classified as ‘obsolete’. A total of 230 apps, comprising the top 10 free App Store apps for each of 23 categories, were assessed for downloadability and functionality on an Apple iPad Mini tablet. Although only 20 apps (8.7%) could be downloaded directly onto the newly obsolete device, 143 apps (62.2%) could be downloaded with the use of a different non-legacy device. Of these 163 downloadable apps, 131 apps (com- prising 57% of all 230 apps and 80.4% of the downloadable apps) successfully installed, opened, and functioned. This was a decrease of only 4.3% in functional apps (of the 230 total apps) compared to the performance of the device when previously classified as ‘vin- tage’.

Mechanistic population models for ecological risk assessment and decision support: The importance of good conceptual model diagrams.

The use of mechanistic population models as research and decision-support tools in ecology and ecological risk assessment (ERA) is increasing. This growth has been facilitated by advances in technology, allowing the simulation of more complex systems, as well as by standardized approaches for model development, documentation, and evaluation. Mechanistic population models are particularly useful for simulating complex systems, but the required model complexity can make them challenging to communicate. Conceptual diagrams that summarize key model elements, as well as elements that were considered but not included, can facilitate communication and understanding of models and increase their acceptance as decision-support tools. Currently, however, there are no consistent standards for creating or presenting conceptual model diagrams (CMDs), and both terminology and content vary widely. Here, we argue that greater consistency in CMD development and presentation is an important component of good modeling practice, and we provide recommendations, examples, and a free web app (pop-cmd.com) for achieving this for population models used for decision support in ERAs. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:1566-1574. © 2023 SETAC.

Understanding the perspectives and needs of multiple stakeholders: Identifying key elements of a digital health intervention to protect against environmental hazards.

AirRater is a free environmental health smartphone app developed and available in Australia that collects individual health data and disseminates environmental hazard information to populations. Following previous evaluations with app users, the aim of this study was to better understand how clinicians, government agency and non-government advocacy group representatives perceive an app designed to reduce the impacts of environmental hazards on individual and public health. Nine government agency and non-government advocacy group representatives, along with 11 clinicians based in Australia participated in a semi-structured interview or focus group to explore perspectives on AirRater. Interview and focus group data were transcribed and analysed using the qualitative data analysis software NVivo. Results indicate that for clinicians, apps like AirRater can add value as an educational, patient self-management and diagnostic tool. For government and peak bodies, apps can add value by addressing environmental health literacy and monitoring and forecasting gaps, as well as supporting advocacy efforts and public health surveillance. We conclude that environmental health smartphone apps can support a range of stakeholders to achieve shared goals and priorities related to individual and public health outcomes. Further research is needed to better understand how apps could be embedded into clinical practice and policy settings.

From Trend to Choices: Cognitive Dissonance and Fast-Fashion Consumption Among Indonesian Influencers

In 2010, Instagram was introduced as a free photo-sharing app for iOS and Android users, providing a unique platform for sharing life experiences through visual content. This study, spanning five months (July-December 2023), explores the rise of fast fashion consumption and influencer trends in Indonesia. It employs the diffusion model proposed by Beaudoin, Moore, and Goldsmith. Analysis of interview data using NVivo highlights a strong link between the fashion industry and influencers. NVivo enables remote collaboration, allowing individuals from different locations to work on shared data files in real-time. The study emphasizes data collection through structured interviews based on an in-depth examination of influencers. Findings reveal that the high-value nature of fast fashion significantly influences Indonesian influencers, driven by the growing popularity of consumer trends and ongoing style improvements in the fashion industry. However, it emphasizes the importance of recognizing that unquestionably following trends can profoundly shape an individual's lifestyle, echoing previous research on the pivotal role of trends in fashion choices. Overall, the research underscores the substantial impact of trends and influencers on Indonesia's fast fashion landscape.

Pelatihan Assesment untuk Pembelajaran Blended Learning Memanfaatkan Socrative di MTS Laboratorium Kota Jambi

Online computer-based assessments will make it easier for teachers to conduct evaluations quickly and correctly. The time and costs required to prepare for exam activities can be reduced as effectively and minimally as possible. Online assessment applications that teachers can use include Socrative. Socrative software allows teachers to get immediate feedback from all students by downloading a free app to their phones. After the teacher formulates the question, the system will capture the student's answer and immediately produce graphs and statistics, which makes it easier for the teacher to evaluate the level of understanding of the concept being explained. This service aims to train teachers to use the Socrative application to make assessments in blended learning. The service activity is assessment training using Socrative for teachers in blended learning. The results of this service in the form of training show that teachers at MTs Laboratory have gained new insights regarding making assessments in blended learning and are very interested in implementing them in learning.

Current-Voltage Analysis Tool for Solar Fuel Production (CATS)

Solar-driven electrochemical devices, such as PV-electrolyzers and photoelectrochemical (PEC) devices, contain multiple components which can make it difficult to pinpoint the failing piece when overall device performance is degrading. The current-voltage analysis tool for solar fuel production (CATS) is a free app that analyzes current-voltage data collected during operation, parameters that are easily accessible for many devices of interest. The program captures the time-dependence of loss mechanisms at play during PEC device operation and opens the door for real-time optimizations of operational parameters like the feed humidity to minimize performance losses. Aside from the possibility of deconvoluting loss mechanisms, this software can also reveal possible performance benefits, such as by convective PV cooling when the photoabsorber is integrated into the electrolysis cell.

Instagram Clone Using Python

Social Media gives the common man a platform to voice with complete freedom of expression, be it for supporting a cause or for addressing a national or international issue of any sensitivity. Business prospects and job opportunities gear up as social media is a stage with global audience to showcase our talents. Social media started off as a trend among youth but today it has emerged as a medium that influences even Presidential elections. Instagram a is a social media app that has grown immensely over the years, and it continues to broaden its horizons. The photo-sharing app has gone a long way from once being a favorite for vacationers sharing their holiday pictures to now appealing to all kinds of influencers, advertisers, and brands. The early version of Instagram was a html prototype for photo-sharing. But as time progressed, a bundle of languages were used to create this awesome clutter free app. Through this project, we’ll discover a way to build a basic functional clone of Instagram, relying on Kotlin and Firebase.A growing number of people are interacting on the web to express and share their views

Vaccination in old age: an overview

Vaccinations against infectious diseases are ahighly effective preventive measure, especially in old age due to the higher susceptibility to infections. As the effectiveness of vaccinations decreases in old age due to immune senescence but also due to comorbidities, specific, more immunogenic vaccines have been developed for this target group. In Germany, the Standing Commission on Vaccination (STIKO) publishes annually updated vaccination recommendations also specifically for the 60+ years age group. Since 2018, standard vaccinations for this group have included herpes zoster vaccination with adjuvanted inactivated vaccine. Since 2021, the use of the quadrivalent influenza high-dose vaccine is recommended for this age group. Currently, the annual COVID-19 vaccination and the single pneumococcal vaccination with the new 20-valent conjugate vaccine have been added as standard vaccinations. The free STIKO app provides an always up to date overview of standard and indicated vaccinations for all age groups.

Modifiable dementia risk factors associated with distinct subjective and objective cognitive outcomes

AbstractBackgroundA range of potentially modifiable environmental, social, and lifestyle factors are estimated to contribute to over a third of dementia cases worldwide. Leading theories propose that these risk factors have different risk‐conferring mechanisms. For example, social isolation, hypertension, and exercise may respectively impact most on cognitive reserve, neurodegeneration, and inflammation. If true, this may support the development of more personalised preventative strategies, depending on risk profiles. Here, we aimed to address this by gathering multiple forms of cognitive assessment in a large sample, across lifespan.MethodN = 2831 users of a free smartphone app, Neureka (aged 18‐82, M(SD) = 46.84(14.7)), completed questionnaires about their background, health, and lifestyle. Additionally, they completed subjective and objective assessments of their cognitive status, via questionnaires (subjective memory problems, attitude to own ageing, and cognitive fluctuations) and cognitive tests (working memory, processing speed, cognitive flexibility, and model‐based planning), respectively. We tested the differential cognitive correlates of previously established risk factors using univariate regressions, controlling for age and gender.ResultLower education and socio‐economic status (SES) were associated with worse cognitive status across all domains (all p<.05). However, the association between SES and subjective cognition (ß = 0.38–0.51) was more than twice that of objective cognition (ß = 0.05–0.09), while this was not the case for education (ß = 0.15–0.32 for subjective and ß = 0.10–0.16 for objective cognition). Subjective measures were also more sensitive to depression, loneliness, hearing handicap, age‐related hearing loss, and tinnitus (all p<.01 for subjective and .001<p<.75 for objective cognition). In contrast, cardiovascular factors like diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and smoking were associated with comparable impacts on objective and subjective cognition. Overall, there was little evidence for risk factor correlates of different aspects of objective cognition (e.g., working memory vs. processing speed).ConclusionObjective and subjective cognition have dissociable associations with certain potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia. This may aid in our understanding of the distinct mechanisms through which they confer risk for dementia. The objective cognitive assessments gathered, model‐based planning, memory, processing speed and flexibility, yielded remarkably similar associations with risk factors, suggesting a common mechanism through which they are linked to risk factors for dementia.

Toward Structural Health Monitoring with the MyShake Smartphone Network.

The field of structural health monitoring (SHM) faces a fundamental challenge related to accessibility. While analytical and empirical models and laboratory tests can provide engineers with an estimate of a structure's expected behavior under various loads, measurements of actual buildings require the installation and maintenance of sensors to collect observations. This is costly in terms of power and resources. MyShake, the free seismology smartphone app, aims to advance SHM by leveraging the presence of accelerometers in all smartphones and the wide usage of smartphones globally. MyShake records acceleration waveforms during earthquakes. Because phones are most typically located in buildings, a waveform recorded by MyShake contains response information from the structure in which the phone is located. This represents a free, potentially ubiquitous method of conducting critical structural measurements. In this work, we present preliminary findings that demonstrate the efficacy of smartphones for extracting the fundamental frequency of buildings, benchmarked against traditional accelerometers in a shake table test. Additionally, we present seven proof-of-concept examples of data collected by anonymous and privately owned smartphones running the MyShake app in real buildings, and assess the fundamental frequencies we measure. In all cases, the measured fundamental frequency is found to be reasonable and within an expected range in comparison with several commonly used empirical equations. For one irregularly shaped building, three separate measurements made over the course of four months fall within 7% of each other, validating the accuracy of MyShake measurements and illustrating how repeat observations can improve the robustness of the structural health catalog we aim to build.

Major revision version 12.0 of the European AIDS Clinical Society guidelines 2023.

The European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) guidelines were revised in 2023 for the 19th time, and all aspects of HIV care were updated. Version 12.0 of the guidelines recommend the same six first-line treatment options for antiretroviral treatment (ART)-naïve adults as versions 11.0 and 11.1: tenofovir-based backbone plus an unboosted integrase inhibitor or doravirine; abacavir/lamivudine plus dolutegravir; or dual therapy with lamivudine or emtricitabine plus dolutegravir. The long-acting section has been expanded in the ART and drug-drug interaction (DDI) panels. Tables for preferred and alternative ART in children and adolescents have been updated, as has the section on prevention of vertical transmission, particularly with new guidance for breastfeeding. A new DDI table has been included for the ART and anti-infective drugs used for opportunistic infections, sexually transmitted infections, and other infectious conditions; lenacapavir has been included in all DDI tables. New sections on alcohol use and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have been included in the comorbidity panel, in addition to updates on many relevant topics, such as new resource guidance for deprescribing in people with HIV. Other sections, including travel, cognitive impairment, cancer screening, sexual health, and diabetes have also been revised extensively. The algorithm for the management of acute hepatitis C virus infection has been removed, as current guidelines recommend immediate treatment of all people with recently acquired hepatitis C virus. Updates on vaccination for hepatitis B virus and recommendations for simplification to tenofovir-free two-drug regimens in people with isolated anti-hepatitis B core antibodies are provided. In the opportunistic infections and COVID-19 panel, guidance on the management of COVID-19 in people with HIV has been updated according to the most up-to-date evidence, and a new section on monkeypox has been added. In 2023, the EACS guidelines were updated extensively and now include several new sections. The recommendations are available as a free app, in interactive web format, and as a pdf online.

Exploiting digital images and videos for urea determination in milk based on enzymatic hydrolysis monitoring

As an endogenous species and a milk adulterant, urea determination is important for quality control in dairy industry. This work proposes a novel, simple, and cost-effective method to determine urea by the analysis of digital images and videos. Urea hydrolysis under urease catalysis releases ammonia and the increase in pH makes feasible the photometric measurements based on the dissociation of the phenol red acid-base indicator. Digital images were acquired by a smartphone camera under controlled conditions and intensities of the reflected radiation were converted to the RGB color system using a free app (PhotoMetrix®). Digital videos were exploited for procedure optimization and evaluation of matrix effects from RGB values obtained with ImageJ® software. A linear response was achieved within 2.0–25.0 mg L-1 urea (R2 =0.996), with a coefficient of variation (n = 10) of 1.6%, and limits of detection (95% confidence level) and quantification of 0.5 and 1.5 mg L-1, respectively. Recoveries from 95% to 112% were estimated from samples spiked with urea and results for commercial milk samples achieved by the standard additions method agreed with the reference values at the 95% confidence level. The procedure is applicable to whole, semi-skim, and skim milk either processed using pasteurization or under ultra-heat treatment.

Revolutionizing Infection Risk Scoring: An Ensemble “From Weak to Strong” Deduction Strategy and Enhanced Point‐of‐Care Testing Tools

The COVID‐19 pandemic exacerbates challenges faced by human immunodeficiency virus patients, who are at heightened risk for infection due to compromised immune systems. This study aims to develop a reliable, home‐based point‐of‐care testing (POCT) tool for early screening of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) coinfected with Talaromyces marneffei infection. Employing a “From weak to strong” deduction strategy for feature selection, data from 464 AIDS patients across four cohorts between February 5th, 2014, and January 8th, 2022, are analyzed. The top three features consistently observed are D‐dimer, cluster of differentiation 4+, and aspartate transaminase. Based on these features, the simplest risk‐scoring model is constructed, with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.91, 0.80, and 0.69 in the hold‐out cohort, external cohort 1, and external cohort 2, respectively. This “From weak to strong” deduction strategy identifies advantageous clinical features, enabling the development of simplified clinical risk scores with multiple biomarkers. To facilitate practical implementation, enhanced POCT tools are introduced, specifically a strip with segmented testing capabilities that demonstrates sensitivity and strong correlation with clinical scoring models. Furthermore, an open‐access website and a free Android mobile app are created to support community utilization. The findings underscore the effectiveness of the innovative deduction strategy and enhanced test strips, which enable bedside measurements without laboratory dependency.

Maryland partnership uses free app to address youth MH needs

A collaboration between the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Maryland and Uneo Health — a community health care provider — aims to address the mental health care needs of youth in Maryland via a free app that provides self‐care and community connections.

The Online Attention to Research in Legal Medicine: An Altmetric Study on the Most Discussed Articles on the Web

Background: Online attention is a relevant research feature that can be related to its societal impact. Online attention in the field of legal medicine was explored as well as the relation between citation count and the Altmetric Attention Score (AAS). Methods: A search was performed, through the free Dimensions app, during September 2020, on the journals related to legal medicine listed in the 2019 edition of the Journal Citation Reports (JCR). The 200 published items with the highest AAS were retrieved and screened for bibliometric data. Articles with related citations were gathered from Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, and Dimensions. Results: Seventy-five percent of the articles were published by five of the selected journals. Twitter and news outlets were the most prevalent Altmetric resources. Additionally, 73.5% of the articles were published between 2013 and 2020. The most frequent topics were the ones related to toxicology and pharmacology, followed by criminalistics and law and bioethics. A poor correlation was found between the citations in WOS, Dimensions, and Scopus and the AAS. Conclusions: The online attention on legal medicine-related topics can be considered high on social media. The high number of news outlets is a distinctive feature of the most discussed articles in legal medicine. In this field of medicine, citation-based metrics combined with Altmetric can allow a broader evaluation of research findings but it should be underlined that, when measuring very different aspects of a published item, the scores in classic citation databases and Altmetric do not have a direct relation.

Cost-effective smartphone-based method for low range chemical oxygen demand analysis

Aiming the decentralization of monitoring policies and to facilitate the work of researchers, mainly in developing countries, the present method deals with the explanation of a simple and rapid protocol for chemical oxygen demand (COD) analysis through the use of digital smartphone devices coupled with a camera and a free app available for Android operating system that recognizes HSV (hue, saturation, value). The calibration of the method is done based on the theoretical values of potassium hydrogen phthalate for a proper and reliable build of the calibration curve by using the smartphone-based technique and the digested samples of COD. The coefficient of determination (R2) attained a value upper than 0.99, providing a high confidence levels, and the method achieved 97% of average accuracy in samples with COD values ranging from 0 to 150 mg L−1. Finally, the procedure here presented can be a great support for scientific laboratories and monitoring policies, once it can efficiently substitute expensive spectrophotometers and can improve and ensure the sustainable management of water sanitation, which is one of the sustainable goals proposed by the United Nations.•COD measurements, based on the use of a simple smartphone with a camera, can be a promising way for environmental analysis when spectrophotometers are not available, such as decentralized approaches.•The use of smartphone protocol is a novel initiative to fulfill sustainable development goal 6 on clean water and sanitation.•The smartphone is capable to read the difference of HSV values efficiently and can substitute the use of expensive spectrophotometers.

Combining species distribution models and moderate resolution satellite information to guide conservation programs for reticulated giraffe

AbstractThe conservation of threatened and rare species in remote areas often presents two challenges: there may be unknown populations that have not yet been documented and there is a need to identify suitable habitat to translocate individuals and help populations recover. This is the case of the reticulated giraffe (Giraffa reticulata), a species of high conservation priority for which: (a) there may be unknown populations in remote areas, and (b) detailed maps of suitable habitat available within its range are lacking. We implemented a species distribution modeling (SDM) workflow in Google Earth Engine, combining GPS telemetry data of 31 reticulated giraffe with Landsat 8 OLI, Advanced Land Observing Satellite Phased Arrayed L‐band Synthetic Aperture Radar, and surface ruggedness layers to predict suitable habitat at 30‐m spatial resolution across the potential range of the species. Models had high predictive power, with a mean AUC‐PR of 0.88 (SD: 0.02; range: 0.86–0.91), mean sensitivity of 0.85 (SD: 0.04; range: 0.80–0.91), and mean precision was 0.81 (SD: 0.02; range: 0.79–0.83). Model predictions were also consistent with two independent validation datasets, with higher predicted suitable habitat values at known occurrence locations than at a random set of locations (P < 0.01). Our model predicted a total of 5519 km2 of potentially suitable habitat in Kenya, 963 km2 in Ethiopia, and 147 km2 in Somalia. Our results indicate that is possible to combine moderate spatial resolution imagery with telemetry data to guide conservation programs of threatened terrestrial species. We provide a free web app where managers can visualize and interact with the 30 m resolution map to help guide future surveys to search for existing populations and to inform future reintroduction assessments. We present all analysis code as a framework that could be adapted for other species across the globe.

A Bibliometric Analysis on Dicrocoelium dendriticum.

Dicrocoelium dendriticum, a worldwide zoonotic trematode, is a common parasite of ruminant animals, but humans can be the definitive host by chance. We analyzed the world situation of the parasite from the perspective of the One Health concept by analyzing the research literature published from 1931 to 2022. Published documents related to D. dendriticum were searched from the Scopus database. Focusing on a visual analysis of the main research documents on D. dendriticum, Dimensions free web app was used to conduct co-occurrence analysis with keywords, countries, institutions, and authors. Moreover, key clustering research, affiliaitons, journals, countries, and authors were determined. The Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) was the most publishing affiliation on D. dendriticum with 19 articles. While the Veterinary Parasitology Journal was the mostly publishing journal on D. dendriticum with 38 articles, the most productive country was Iran. The authors Giuseppe Cringoli and Laura Rinaldi from Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy were the mostly publishing authors. This bibliometric analysis provides an overall description of the current state of D. dendriticum research and the initial exploration of future research directions. Our analysis provides guidance for the development of research on D. dendriticum.

Parental engagement and implementation fidelity in a mHealth motor skills intervention for young children

ABSTRACT Introduction Mobile apps (i.e. mHealth) provide unprecedented opportunity for widespread dissemination of health behavior programs. However, for programs directed towards young children, parental engagement may explain differing results of mHealth programs. Within the context of an app-based fundamental motor skill (FMS) intervention that improved children’s motor skills (PLAY), this paper examines parents’ fidelity to the intervention and the extent to which fidelity was related to children’s motor skill improvements. Methods In the PLAY trial, 72 children aged 3–5 years were randomized for their parents to access a Motor Skills app or Free Play app for a 12-week intervention. The Motor Skills app contained lessons, videos, and activity breaks totaling 1 h/week of directed FMS instruction by the parent to the child over a 12-week period. The Free Play app was similar in appearance and format but focused on unstructured physical activity. Children’s FMS were evaluated with the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-3) at baseline, 12-weeks, and 24-week follow-up. Implementation fidelity data included dosage completed (activity breaks completed), parental engagement (duration of video views), and quality of intervention delivery (feasibility and acceptability). Dosage and engagement were dichotomized within the Motor Skills condition into high vs. low. Linear mixed effects models were used to examine the association of dosage completed and parental engagement with changes in children’s FMS both within and between conditions. The level of significance was set at 0.05 for all analyses. Results Children completed 70% (8.4 of 12 h) of the prescribed activity breaks based on parental report in the Motor Skills condition and 87% (10.4 of 12 h) in the Free Play condition (not significantly different). Parental engagement based on video viewing duration for the Motor Skills condition was on average 8.0 ± 8.6 of the 9.8 available minutes and for the Free Play condition was 5.0 ± 5.5 of the available 18 min, with no significant difference between conditions. Parents rated high acceptability and usability for both apps. Children in the Motor Skills condition improved their FMS more than children in the Free Play condition regardless of whether they were classified as receiving high or low dosage or high or low parental engagement. Conclusion Parents and children consistently engaged with a 12-week Motor Skills app intervention, and the salience of FMS improvements did not differ by the level of parent fidelity or engagement with the mHealth app. The intervention potency, parental engagement, and dosage completed were sufficient to produce the desired child motor skills improvements.

Crowdsourcing Felt Reports Using the MyShake Smartphone App

Abstract MyShake is a free citizen science smartphone app that provides a range of features related to earthquakes. Features available globally include rapid postearthquake notifications, live maps of earthquake damage as reported by MyShake users, safety tips, and various educational features. The app also uses the accelerometer in the mobile device to detect earthquake shaking, and to record and submit waveforms to a central archive. In addition, MyShake delivers earthquake early warning alerts in California, Oregon, and Washington. In this study, we compare the felt shaking reports provided by MyShake users in California with the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGSs) “Did You Feel It?” intensity reports. The MyShake app simply asks, “What strength of shaking did you feel?” and users report on a five-level scale. When the MyShake reports are averaged in spatial or time bins, we find strong correlation with the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale values reported by the USGS based on the DYFI surveys. The MyShake felt reports can therefore contribute to the creation of shaking intensity maps.