An enhanced timetabling procedure for the no-wait job shop problem: a complete local search approach

In this paper we consider the no-wait job shop problem with a makespan objective. This problem has usually been addressed by its decomposition into a sequencing and a timetabling problem. Here, first we focus on the timetabling problem and take advantage of the symmetry of the problem in order to suggest a new timetabling procedure. Secondly, we suggest embedding this timetabling into a recent metaheuristic named complete local search with memory.     

Das Problem der verantworteten Therapieentscheidung in der Neonatologie

Definition of the problem: Physicians and nurses who work in neonatology—as in intensive care at all—are often forced to decide whether to stop or to continue with the treatment of a severely ill patient. The literature provides several decision making instruments, which are meant to help and to rationalize such decisions. Method and conclusion: Two of these instruments (“Schema zur ethischen Urteilsbildung nach dem Muster der aristotelischen Ethik”, Honnefelder 1994; “Nimwegener Methode für ethische Fallbesprechung”, Gordijn 1998) were tested by retrospectively examining two cases of our NICU. Results of our study show that the use of a decision making instrument is basically helpful. But the above mentioned instruments showed also shortcomings when used in the framework of neonatology. Therefore we developed the “Kölner Arbeitsbogen zur ethischen Entscheidungsfindung in der Neonatologie”, which is adapted to the specific needs of neonatology.     

Gesundheitsinformationen im Internet

Electronic Health (E-Health) increasingly strives to provide health information and services to healthcare stakeholders (e.g., insurances, physicians, hospital and patient alliances, self-help groups) via the Internet, and to actively involve patients in their care. One major chance for these participatory healthcare and patient-oriented approaches that integrate patients in healthcare are the phenomena and ideas associated with providing information and healthcare on the Internet. This paper examines the existing body of knowledge on online health information and explores the current state of research through a review of literature by classifying articles published between the last two decades in IS, BISE, and health domain-specific journals as well as a review of past and current BMBF-, DFG-, and EU-funded research projects in this field. The fundamental categories of the analysis represent the stakeholders in the healthcare sector, the connecting information flows, the information-transferring technological applications, as well as the categories of the TEMPEST model. Amongst others, the results show that most of the analyzed papers discuss conventional, transactional E-Health applications. Within the TEMPEST model the technological category has the largest share of all categories. Based on these findings, causes and future research fields are discussed.