Abstract. Patient Centered Design (PCD) is a particular type of User CenteredDesign (UCD) where the end-user is a patient that will use an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solution for healthcare. It focuses on needs, wants and skills of the product's primary user and implies involving end-users in the decision-making and development process of the solution. e-Therapy aims to provide support to therapy sessions through ICT solutions. It has grown in the last years and in the mental health arena is being used for specific therapeutic contexts. It is an especially difficult environment due to specificities of the patients' conditions and where the physical access to patients is restricted and, sometimes, not even possible. Thus, a PCD approach can be accomplished through the health professionals involved, applying some of the most wellknown methods of UCD: interviews, questionnaires, focus groups and participatory design. eSchi is an e-Therapy tool that complements traditional practices for the cognitive rehabilitation and training of schizophrenic patients. It was successfully developed using a PCD approach.
Deep-sea ecosystems are reservoirs of biodiversity that are largely unexplored, but their exploration and biodiscovery are becoming a reality thanks to biotechnological advances (e.g., omics technologies) and their integration in an expanding network of marine infrastructures for the exploration of the seas, such as cabled observatories. While still in its infancy, the application of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding approaches is revolutionizing marine biodiversity monitoring capability. Indeed, the analysis of eDNA in conjunction with the collection of multidisciplinary optoacoustic and environmental data, can provide a more comprehensive monitoring of deep-sea biodiversity. Here, we describe the potential for acquiring eDNA as a core component for the expanding ecological monitoring capabilities through cabled observatories and their docked Internet Operated Vehicles (IOVs), such as crawlers. Furthermore, we provide a critical overview of four areas of development: (i) Integrating eDNA with optoacoustic imaging; (ii) Development of eDNA repositories and cross-linking with other biodiversity databases; (iii) Artificial Intelligence for eDNA analyses and integration with imaging data; and (iv) Benefits of eDNA augmented observatories for the conservation and sustainable management of deep-sea biodiversity. Finally, we discuss the technical limitations and recommendations for future eDNA monitoring of the deep-sea. It is hoped that this review will frame the future direction of an exciting journey of biodiscovery in remote and yet vulnerable areas of our planet, with the overall aim to understand deep-sea biodiversity and hence manage and protect vital marine resources.
Behavioral rhythms are a key aspect of species fitness, since optimize ecological activities of animals in response to a constantly changing environment. Cabled observatories enable researchers to collect long-term biological and environmental data in real-time, providing relevant information on coastal fishes’ ecological niches and their temporal regulation (i.e., phenology). In this framework, the platform OBSEA (an EMSO Testing-Site in the NW coastal Mediterranean) was used to monitor the 24-h and seasonal occurrence of an ecologically iconic (i.e., top-predator) coastal fish species, the common dentex (Dentex dentex). By coupling image acquisition with oceanographic and meteorological data collection at a high-frequency (30 min), we compiled 8-years’ time-series of fish counts, showing daytime peaks by waveform analysis. Peaks of occurrence followed the photophase limits as an indication of photoperiodic regulation of behavior. At the same time, we evidenced a seasonal trend of counts variations under the form of significant major and minor increases in August and May, respectively. A progressive multiannual trend of counts increase was also evidenced in agreement with the NW Mediterranean expansion of the species. In GLM and GAM modeling, counts not only showed significant correlation with solar irradiance but also with water temperature and wind speed, providing hints on the species reaction to projected climate change scenarios. Grouping behavior was reported mostly at daytime. Results were discussed assuming a possible link between count patterns and behavioral activity, which may influence video observations at different temporal scales.
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