Month: November 2023

Nov 10

How to Conduct User Testing in 6 Easy Steps

User testing is a crucial process in the world of product development and design. It includes testing a product or service with real users to find out how well it works, how easy it is to use, and how the overall user experience is. By learning how people use your product, you can find problems, make smart changes, and make the end result more successful and easy for people to use. In this complete guide, we’ll show you how to do effective user testing in six easy steps. Step 1: Define Clear Objectives and Goals Before you begin user testing, it’s essential to define clear objectives and goals for the process. Determine what specific aspects of your product you want to evaluate. Are you focusing on the usability of a specific feature, the overall user experience, or the effectiveness of your product’s onboarding process? Establishing clear goals helps you stay focused during the testing process and ensures you gather relevant insights to inform your design decisions. Step 2: Identify Your Target Audience Identifying the right participants is critical for the success of your user testing. Consider your target audience – the people who will be using your product or service. Define specific demographics such as age, gender, location, occupation, and interests. Your target audience should represent the typical users of your product. Recruiting a diverse group of participants helps in capturing a wide range of perspectives and feedback. Step 3: Create Test Scenarios and Tasks Design scenarios and tasks that reflect real-life situations in which users would interact with your product. These tasks should be clear, concise, and goal-oriented. Avoid leading questions that might influence participants’ responses. Tasks can range from basic interactions like signing up for an account or making a purchase to more complex scenarios that require users to navigate multiple features of your product. Well-designed tasks provide valuable insights into how users approach various functionalities of your product. Step 4: Conduct the User Testing Sessions When conducting user testing, it’s crucial to create a comfortable and natural environment for participants. Start by explaining the purpose of the test and ensuring participants understand that you are evaluating the product, not their abilities. Participant thought processes and decisions can be better understood if they are prompted to think aloud while they work through the activities. Be an active listener, observe their actions, facial expressions, and body language. Take notes on their interactions, struggles, and successes during the testing session. Step 5: Analyze the Data and Extract Insights After conducting user testing sessions, gather and analyze the data you’ve collected. Look for patterns, common challenges, and recurring feedback from participants. Identify usability issues, areas where users struggled, and aspects of the product that received positive feedback. Categorize the feedback into different themes or topics to better understand the overall user experience. In order to get a full picture of the findings of the user tests, quantitative data like task completion rates and time needed to complete activities can supplement qualitative input. Step 6: Iterate and Implement Improvements Based on the insights gathered from user testing, prioritize the identified issues and improvements. Create a roadmap for addressing these concerns, focusing on high-impact issues that significantly affect the user experience. Iterate on the design, functionality, or content based on the user feedback. Implement these improvements and conduct follow-up testing sessions to validate the effectiveness of the changes. User testing is an iterative process – it’s essential to continuously gather feedback, make improvements, and test again to ensure your product evolves in line with user needs and expectations. Tips for Successful User Testing 1. Stay Neutral Avoid leading questions or providing hints during the testing sessions. Let participants explore the product independently, observing their natural interactions and reactions. 2. Test Early and Often User testing should be conducted at various stages of product development – from wireframes and prototypes to the final product. Testing early helps in identifying fundamental issues, while testing later stages helps in fine-tuning the user experience. 3. Be Open to Feedback Embrace both positive and negative feedback. Constructive criticism is invaluable for making improvements. Try not to get defensive, and instead concentrate on seeing things from the user’s point of view. 4. Use a Mix of Testing Methods Combine different testing methods, such as remote testing, in-person sessions, and A/B testing, to gather a diverse range of insights. Each method provides unique perspectives on the user experience. 5. Involve Stakeholders Invite key stakeholders, including designers, developers, and product managers, to observe user testing sessions. This firsthand experience fosters a shared understanding of user challenges and facilitates collaborative problem-solving. 6. Iterate and Repeat User testing is not a one-time activity. Iterate on the design, make improvements, and conduct follow-up testing sessions to validate the changes. Continuous testing ensures your product remains user-focused and aligned with evolving user needs. In conclusion, user testing is a fundamental process for creating user-centric and successful products. By following these six simple steps and incorporating best practices, you can gather valuable insights, identify usability issues, and implement improvements that enhance the overall user experience. Embrace user testing as a continuous and iterative process, allowing your product to evolve in response to user feedback, ultimately leading to a more satisfying and engaging user experience.

Nov 03

Mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy in HCC

Introduction Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the most common primary liver cancer and a globally burdensome oncological diagnosis, ranking as the sixth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the third most common cause of cancer death worldwide.1 Unlike other malignancies, both incidence and mortality from HCC are expected to rise by more than 55% in the next few decades.2 HCC usually develops in the context of chronic liver disease, with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and alcohol abuse representing the most prevalent etiologies worldwide. However, the proportion of HCC cases arising in the setting of underlying metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is rapidly increasing, and it is expected that MALFD will become the leading risk factor for HCC in the years to come.3 Improved management of underlying chronic liver disease is likely to reduce the risk of cirrhosis decompensation and the ensuing mortality, leading to an increase in the number of patients with prolonged survival from cirrhosis but still at risk for developing HCC. On the other hand, the increasing prevalence of MAFLD, associated with the lack of effective surveillance strategies in patients with non-cirrhotic MAFLD and with the intrinsic difficulty of ultrasound surveillance in cirrhotic patients, is likely related to the persistently high number of cases diagnosed at advanced stages.4 For these patients, systemic therapy still remains the standard of care. The advent of novel, more effective systemic therapies has markedly revolutionized the prognostic outlook of patients with advanced HCC. Monotherapies with the anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) targeting agents nivolumab and pembrolizumab received accelerated approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), based on unexpectedly high radiological response rates observed in uncontrolled early-phase clinical trials.5,6 However, PD-1 monotherapy failed in showing a significant overall survival (OS) benefit in Phase III RCTs and only pembrolizumab was granted full FDA approval.7,8 Primary disease progression on nivolumab monotherapy was reported in 37% of patients,7 suggesting that resistance to this type of therapeutic approach is common. Follow-up studies of tislelizumab and durvalumab, two monoclonal antibodies directed against PD-1 and programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), respectively, demonstrated the non-inferiority of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade against sorafenib, with meta analyses showing improved therapeutic index over tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).9 Conversely, it is now known that ICI-based combination regimens provide a significant improvement in OS compared to sorafenib in phase III RCTs, shifting the expected survival of patients with advanced disease from approximately 6 months to up to 20 months.10,11 The combinations of atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1) plus bevacizumab (anti-vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF]), and durvalumab (anti-PD-L1) plus another ICI (tremelimumab, an anti-Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Antigen 4 [CTLA-4]) have obtained full FDA approval for first-line treatment, whereas the combination of nivolumab plus anti-CTLA-4 ipilimumab has been granted accelerated approval for patients who have been previously treated with sorafenib.12 The rationale behind combining ICI with anti-VEGF is that VEGF inhibition may regulate and suppress elements of the tumor immune microenvironment (TiME), including regulatory T cells (T-regs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and tumor-associated macrophages (TAM). On the other hand, the combined blockade of CTLA-4 and PD-1 in ICI doublets has a distinct and non-redundant immune-biologic role within the cancer immunity cycle. CTLA-4 inhibition drives immune-suppression in tumor-antigen presenting cells and T-regs, while PD-1/PD-L1 blockade predominantly downregulates the effectiveness of the cytotoxic CD8+ T cell response.13 Unfortunately, combinations of ICI plus TKI, such as atezolizumab plus cabozantinib or pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib, did not statistically improve OS compared to TKI monotherapy in phase III RCTs.14,15 Overall, compared to ICI monotherapies, ICI-based doublets are associated with improved outcomes, and this is probably related to the added benefit of each component. However, the proportion of patients obtaining long-term survival benefit still remains limited and does not exceed 20–30%. This has led to the development of triplet regimens that have been investigated in phase I/II trials (such as nivolumab plus ipilimumab and cabozantinib) or are currently under investigation (such as atezolizumab plus bevacizumab and ipilimumab).16,17 HCC is characterized by high clinical and biological heterogeneity, translating into an extremely variable prognosis.18 The diagnosis of HCC can be performed by using validated imaging criteria, without the need for histological confirmation in patients with cirrhosis.19 This has inevitably led to a relatively limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms associated with prognosis and treatment response compared to other solid tumors. Nevertheless, it is well known that HCC is characterized by a high transcriptional and genetic heterogeneity.20 Research on molecular signatures, which could potentially predict outcomes, led to the identification of two major subclasses of HCC: one characterized by intrinsic cell proliferation, and the other defined as the non-proliferative class. The former is denoted by poor tumor cell differentiation and associated with chromosomal instability, as well as p53 tumor suppressor gene (TP53) mutations. Potentially actionable driver linked to this class is transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) signaling. The non-proliferative class is associated with more differentiated HCC, presence of mutations in the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway and with a better prognosis.21 Utilization of high throughput sequencing technologies led to a further deepening in the understanding of the functional characteristics recapitulated within the HCC TiME. First, the presence of a percentage of HCC with expression of markers of inflammatory response, named as immune class, was identified.22 A subsequent study improved the classification.23 Three phenotypic classes were defined: an immune class, characterized by high immune cell infiltration and PD-1/PD-L1 pathway activation, an immune intermediate class, and an immune-excluded class, which conversely is associated with low immune cell infiltration, low expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 and high frequency of chromosomal aberrations.23 A fourth subclass, defined as immune-desert pattern, has also been described; it is distinguished by an impoverishment of the immune component leading to immune ignorance and a lack of priming T cell.24 While useful in understanding the pathogenesis of HCC, implementation of these classifications in clinical practice remains limited, and prospective studies proving their predictive performance are lacking. In addition to molecular characteristics, the heterogeneity of HCC etiology has become the subject of debate with regard to its differential ability to lead

Nov 03

No birthdays, no blood transfusions. Jehovah’s Witnesses have a ‘committed way of life’

Kochi: Doctors at Kochi’s Aster Medcity are struggling to treat the victims of the Kalamassery bomb blast — several of them are refusing to accept blood transfusions because it goes against their religious beliefs. The victims are members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the religious group that was the target of the 29 October attack, which killed three and wounded 50. The accused, former Jehovah’s Witness Dominic Martin, claimed in a Facebook video that he was against the group because it perpetuated harmful beliefs. One such belief is their stance against transfusions, based on their conviction that life should not be sustained by the blood of other creatures. An evangelical subsect of Christianity, Jehovah’s Witnesses often get a bad rap for their firm beliefs and zealous proselytising. But beneath the surface is a highly organised, deeply religious, well-oiled machine that preaches returning to the biblical text in case of any doubt. They conduct themed prayer meetings, maintain strict codes of conduct, and adhere to a policy of political neutrality. Their way of life is closely guided by the principles in the Bible. Witnesses also look to community elders to provide guidance and advice. After the blast, the India branch office sent out a list of instructions to members on how to support each other and attend gatherings virtually. Many from the India branch office have also visited the affected. “Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide grieve for the victims of this traumatic event and are praying for the victims’ families,” read the official statement of the Jehovah’s Witnesses Indian Branch after the blast. “During this time of tragedy, we are comforted by the Bible’s hope of a future when violence will no longer occur.” The Jehovah’s Witnesses have had a presence in India for decades, with about 50,000 members nationwide. In Kerala, there are roughly 17,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses spread across 200 congregations. Around 2,000 of these congregants had gathered at the Zamra Convention Centre in Kalamassery, Kochi, for a three-day convention last week. The theme was “living with patience”. On the third day, at around 9.30 a.m., the attendees had their eyes closed in prayer when three consecutive blasts shattered the serenity of the moment. An eyewitness told ThePrint that something that looked like a “tiffin-box bag” had gone off under plastic chairs. “It took us time to react. Initially, we thought it was a short circuit, but then we saw the black smoke and smelled the burning,” said Prakash, a 30-year-old systems engineer who was present at the site. Zamra Convention Centre where Jehovah’s Witnesses were holding three-day convention | Vandana Menon | ThePrint But even when the gravity of the situation sank in, there was no “overpanic” at the scene, he added. “I think that’s why there were fewer casualties.” Kochi MP Hibi Eden also noted the exceptional level of organisation at the gathering, and said that the congregants followed an evacuation plan — a general protocol they’d already discussed at the start of the convention. “I’ve been to many calamities and disaster sites — usually there are emotional outbursts or resentment expressed towards government officials. But in this case, they were an extremely composed crowd,” said Eden. “There was no anger from the victims and their families, which is quite unusual.” Also Read: ‘Unassuming English teacher, recluse’ — inside the world of Kerala bombing suspect Dominic Martin Organised, streamlined, and global Jehovah’s Witnesses typically hold their worship gatherings in assembly halls known as Kingdom Halls, rather than traditional churches. Since the Sunday bomb blast, physical prayer meetings across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka have been called off over fears of violence. However, the community has adapted so that they can still share in midweek prayers. Zoom links have been shared in the WhatsApp groups of all the congregations for members to join. The theme of this week’s prayers is “Treasures from God’s Word”. It’s the same theme for Jehovah’s Witnesses across the world. There’s even an app to keep things streamlined. Prakash opens the Jehovah’s Witness Library app on his phone to check the schedule, toggling between Malayalam and English on the user interface. The app supports over 522 languages to reach Witnesses all over the world, including separate English dialects for countries like Liberia. A few of the interface of the Jehovah’s Witness Library app | Photo: Vandana Menon | ThePrint “Just looking at the range of languages on the app makes me feel I have a strong community. Wherever I go in the world, if I need help, Jehovah’s Witnesses will come running to help me,” said another Witness, Anna. “We don’t discriminate, because we are all God’s children.” The schedule is simply displayed with prompts for Witnesses to reflect on their beliefs and actions. There are two weekly meetings at Kingdom Halls, one midweek and one on the weekend. Midweek meetings are typically from 5pm to 8pm. The timing of weekend meetings varies by congregation, and Witnesses are free to attend the gathering that best fits their schedule. For instance, the congregations of Aluva and Kalamassery share the same Kingdom Hall building, and schedule their prayer meetings separately for members of both congregations to be able to attend. There have been no physical prayer meeting since the bombing at the Kingdom Hall in Edapally, Kochi | Photo: Vandana Menon | ThePrint The priority is not prayer, but teaching the Bible. Each meeting opens with a short song and prayer, after which an elder delivers opening remarks on the theme for the week. Then the witnesses talk about their interpretation of the selected Bible verse, and how they apply it to their life. “The Bible teaches us to live correctly and lawfully. That’s all we’re saying — it’s not that we don’t follow the rules of society. When these rules conflict with our beliefs, then we prioritise what the Bible teaches us,” said Prakash. “We don’t force others to follow our beliefs, so what’s the problem?” The strictures include refraining from idolising celebrities or the nation-state since worship

Nov 03

Blood Donation: A Mother’s Plea

SPOKANE, Wash. — Vitalant is hosting its annual Epicurean Delight event at the Spokane Convention Center Friday night, Nov. 3. It’s an effort to raise money for Vitalant, which collects blood products from donors to give to medical facilities for life saving procedures. Mother of five, Megan Shaw, knows the importance of blood donation. She almost died giving birth to her fifth child, Coco. After delivering her baby by c-section, Shaw started hemorrhaging. Her placenta had grown through her uterine wall and attached to her organs. She begged to stay awake and worried that if she closed her eyes, she’d die. However, a doctor put her under to perform surgery. Her husband, Jeff, waited for six hours with Coco to hear word of his wife. Finally, he says the doctor told him that Shaw had survived thanks to at least 40 units of blood pumped through her body through transfusions. Jeff admits he never thought much about blood drives held at his office, but now he says he’ll never look at this selfless act the same way again. Three years later, the couple is happy to spread words of gratitude to the donors that saved Megan’s life. This story will air Friday night at Vitalant’s Epicurean Delight and the Shaw’s will then take the stage to say ‘thank you’ and to encourage others to donate the gift of life.

Nov 03

Mother shares story of how blood donation saved her life

Vitalant is hosting its annual Epicurean Delight event at the Spokane Convention Center Friday night, Nov. 3. It’s an effort to raise money for Vitalant, which collects blood products from donors to give to medical facilities for life saving procedures. Mother of five, Megan Shaw, knows the importance of blood donation. She almost died giving birth to her fifth child, Coco.