Accounting and Co-Constructing: The Development of a Standard for Electronic Health Records

Patient records are central, constitutive parts of health care and hospitals. Currently, substantial sums are being invested in making patient records electronic, in order to take advantage of IT’s ability to quickly accumulate, compute, and propagate data to multiple sites, to enhance coordination of health care services and cooperation among staff, and make patient records immediately accessible to distributed actors. Investors also aim to increase health care services’ accountability and integration, and improve quality and efficiency. This paper analyses a Danish national standard for electronic health records, on the basis of an application prototype test designed to that standard. The analysis shows that, inscribed in the standard is an ambition to increase the accountability of staff and health care services at the cost of increased work, loss of overview, and fragmentation of patient cases. Significantly, despite the standard having been conceived and developed in a process of co-construction involving clinicians, clinicians did not find it adequate for their work. This analysis argues this was the result of the model of work embedded in the standard coming from a stance external to practice. Subsequently, a flip-over effect occurred, in which the model of work became a model for work. Hence, this paper argues that co-construction processes should not only include users as representatives of a profession, but strive to produce experiences and knowledge intrinsic to practice.     

The shape of feature code: an analysis of twenty C-preprocessor-based systems

Feature annotations (e.g., code fragments guarded by #ifdef C-preprocessor directives) control code extensions related to features. Feature annotations have long been said to be undesirable. When maintaining features that control many annotations, there is a high risk of ripple effects. Also, excessive use of feature annotations leads to code clutter, hinder program comprehension and harden maintenance. To prevent such problems, developers should monitor the use of feature annotations, for example, by setting acceptable thresholds. Interestingly, little is known about how to extract thresholds in practice, and which values are representative for feature-related metrics. To address this issue, we analyze the statistical distribution of three feature-related metrics collected from a corpus of 20 well-known and long-lived C-preprocessor-based systems from different domains. We consider three metrics: scattering degree of feature constants, tangling degree of feature expressions, and nesting depth of preprocessor annotations. Our findings show that feature scattering is highly skewed; in 14 systems (70 %), the scattering distributions match a power law, making averages and standard deviations unreliable limits. Regarding tangling and nesting, the values tend to follow a uniform distribution; although outliers exist, they have little impact on the mean, suggesting that central statistics measures are reliable thresholds for tangling and nesting. Following our findings, we then propose thresholds from our benchmark data, as a basis for further investigations.     

Effects of training to implement new tools and working methods to reduce knee load in floor layers

The purpose was to measure the effect of a participatory ergonomics implementation strategy consisting of information, education, and facilitation on the use of new tools and working methods in the floor laying trade. Floor layers (n=292) were trained in using new working methods. The effects were evaluated by using questionnaires, interviews, and assessments of quality and productivity. Following the training, 43% had used the new working methods weekly/daily compared to 11% before. There was a reduction in the degree of self-reported pain in the knees among the floor layers using the new working methods weekly or daily compared to those using them never or occasionally. The musculoskeletal complaints did not increase from any other region and the quality and the productivity of the work were not decreased. This indicates that within a 3-months perspective the implementation strategy succeeded.     

Subacute proteome changes following traumatic injury of the developing brain: Implications for a dysregulation of neuronal migration and neurite arborization

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children and adolescents. To gain insight into developmental events influenced by TBI, we analyzed subacute mouse brain proteome changes in a percussion head trauma model at P7 ipsi- and contralateral to the site of injury. The comparison of brain proteomes of trauma mice and controls revealed reproducible changes in the intensity of 28 proteins (30 protein spots) in response to trauma. The changes detected suggest that TBI leads to apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress. These changes were consistent with our results of histological and biochemical evaluation of the brains which revealed widespread apoptotic neurodegeneration, microglia activation, and increased levels of protein carbonyls. Furthermore, we detected changes in proteins involved in neuronal migration as well as axonal and dendritic growth and guidance, suggesting interference of trauma with these developmental events.     

Schnelle Bestimmung von Furfurol und Hydroxymethylfurfurol in alkoholischen Getr?nken mit Hilfe der Umkehrphasen-Chromatographie

Zusammenfassung Furfurol und Hydroxymethylfurfurol können leicht mit Hilfe der Umkehrphasen-Chromatographie in Alkoholika bestimmt werden. Eine Probenvorbereitung ist nicht notwendig. Die beiden Aldehyde werden UV-spektrometrisch erfaßt, die absolute Nachweisgrenze bei Routinearbeiten beträgt 4–7 mg/100 l reinen Alkohol (entsprechend 0,01–0,03 mg/l im Getränk) und kann für Spurenbestimmungen auf 0,002–0,001 mg/l durch Injektion von größeren Probenvolumen erniedrigt werden. Die Peakhöhen der beiden Furfuroie sind im Bereich von 0,25–3 mg/l Getränk linear von der Konzentration abhängig. Die Gesamtanalyse dauert etwa 12 min. Mit der beschriebenen Methode werden brasilianischer Zukkerrohrschnaps (Cachaça) Bowie eine Reihe in Deutschland käuflicher Alkoholika untersucht.

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Rapid determination of furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural in alcoholic beverages by reverse-phase-chromatographyComparative investigations on the content of furfurals in Brazilian Cachaça and other alcoholic liquors

Summary Furfural and Hydroxymethylfurfural can easily be determined in alcoholic beverages by means of reverse phase chromatography. A special sample preparation is not necessary. The aldehydes are detected by UV-spectrometry, the absolute detection limit in routine work is 4–7 mg/100 liters of pure ethanol (corresponding to 0.016–0.03 mg/l beverage) and can be extended down to 0.002–0.001 mg/l when injecting higher volumes for trace analysis. In the range of 0.25–3 mg/l linear relationship is obtained between peak hight and concentration. The complete assay procedure takes about 12 min. A series of Brazilian Cachaça samples and German commercial liquors were investigated with the here described method.

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Sumário Os autores apresentam um método de determinação de Furfural e Hidroxi-metilfurfural em cachaça e outras bebidas alcoolicas, Cromatografia em alta pressão com colunas de fase reversa (C₈; 5 m; 250 × 4 mm; CH₃CN/H₂O 5/95 como eluente) permite a separação e determinaçã sem pre-tratamento das amostras em 10–12 minutos. A sensibilidade da determinação em UV (254 nm) è 4–7 mg/100 L álcool puro (0.01–0.03 mg/L na bebida respectivamente). Usando um volume maior de injecção, o limite se pode abaixar até 0.002–0.001 mg/L bebida. A altura dos picos é proporçional à concentração entre 0.25–3 mg/L bebida. As cachaças investigadas possuem geralmente um conteúdo de Furfural e de Hidroxi-metilfurfural menor do que suposto e determinato pelo método de anilina recomendado pelo governo (determinação não específica).

     

ESA-based in-fiber nanocavity for hydrogen-peroxide detection

A fiber-optic sensor sensitive to hydrogen peroxide has been designed based on the electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly method. Prussian blue has been deposited in a polymeric structure formed by Poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and poly(acrylic acid). The concentration that can be detected range between 10/sup -6/-10/sup -3/ M, and recovery of the sensor after immersion into a reductive agent was demonstrated. The response of the sensor is independent of the pH for values that range between 4-7.4. Some rules for estimation of the refractive index of the material deposited and the thickness of the bilayers are also presented.     

Statistical testing for sufficient control chart performances during monitoring of grouped processes

With ISO 7870-8, a standardized application of charting techniques for short runs and small mixed batches was presented in 2017. Similar to various scientific approaches, it requires that sample values from grouped processes follow nearly identical distributions. In practice, however, there tend to be differences between distribution parameters. Moreover, equal parameters do not ensure that distributions are properly aligned to the center line and control limits of the chart. These facts can lead to undesired control chart performances which can be expressed by average run lengths (ARL) during in-control and out-of-control conditions. In this work, a statistical test for sufficient control chart performances during monitoring of grouped processes based on preliminary samples is proposed. Control chart performances are defined as sufficient when they deviate within acceptable ranges from usual performances during single process monitoring in mass production. The ARL resulting from estimated distributions and planned production sequences is used as test statistic and calculated via the Markov chain approach. Exemplary tests are executed for scenarios with individuals and cumulated sum (CUSUM) charts. A simulative determination of error rates resulting from the ARL-based testing demonstrates its effectiveness in testing for sufficient control chart performances compared to an indirect testing with Levene's test and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).