Artefactual Multiplicity: A Study of Emergency-Department Whiteboards

Whiteboards are highly important to the work in emergency departments (EDs). As a collaborative technology ED whiteboards are usually placed in the dynamic centre of the ED, and all ED staff will approach the whiteboard regularly to organize their individual yet interdependent work. Currently, digital whiteboards are replacing the ordinary dry-erase whiteboards in EDs, which bring the design and use of whiteboards in ED to our attention. Previous studies have applied the theoretical lenses of common information spaces, coordination, and awareness to the investigation of whiteboard use and design. Based on an ethnographic study of the work practices involving two differently designed ED whiteboards, we found these concepts insufficient to explain one essential characteristic of these heterogeneous artefacts. In this paper, we suggest an additional theoretical concept describing this characteristic of heterogeneous artefacts; namely artefactual multiplicity. Artefactual multiplicity identifies not only the multiple functions of heterogeneous artefacts but also the intricate relations between these multiple functionalities.     

Mechanisms Driving the Emergence of Neuronal Hyperexcitability in Fragile X Syndrome

Hyperexcitability is a shared neurophysiological phenotype across various genetic neurodevelopmental disorders, including Fragile X syndrome (FXS). Several patient symptoms are associated with hyperexcitability, but a puzzling feature is that their onset is often delayed until their second and third year of life. It remains unclear how and why hyperexcitability emerges in neurodevelopmental disorders. FXS is caused by the loss of FMRP, an RNA-binding protein which has many critical roles including protein synthesis-dependent and independent regulation of ion channels and receptors, as well as global regulation of protein synthesis. Here, we discussed recent literature uncovering novel mechanisms that may drive the progressive onset of hyperexcitability in the FXS brain. We discussed in detail how recent publications have highlighted defects in homeostatic plasticity, providing new insight on the FXS brain and suggest pharmacotherapeutic strategies in FXS and other neurodevelopmental disorders.     

Amylose Complexing Effect of Food Grade Emulsifiers

In order to evaluate the ability of food emulsifiers to form complexes with starch components, especially amylose, two methods have been compared. The amylose complexing effect of 22 different food emulsifiers are compared by a gravimetric determination of the precipitated amylose-emulsifier complex followed by an iodometric measurement of remaining amylose in solution. The best complexing activity of the non-ionic emulsifiers was shown by distilled monoglycerides (monoester content minimum 90%) made on the basis of fully hydrogenated lard. As regards ionic-active emulsifiers stearoyl-lactylate and its corresponding calcium and sodium salts also gave a good complexing effect. As a relative figure for the ability to react with amylose a “Complexing Index” has been calculated for each type of emulsifier.     

Introduction to This Special Issue on Open Design at the Intersection of Making and Manufacturing

ABSTRACT

What is ‘open design’ and who gets to say what it is? In the emerging body of literature on open design, there is a clear alignment to the values and practices of free culture and open source software and hardware. Yet this same literature includes multiple, sometimes even contradictory strands of technology practice and research. These different perspectives can be traced back to free culture advocates from the 1970s to the 1990s who formulated the ideal of the internet as inherently empowering, democratizing, and countercultural. However, more recent approaches include feminist and critical interventions into hacking and making as well as corporate strategies of “open innovation” that bring end-users and consumers into the design process. What remains today seems to fall into two schools of thought. On one hand, we have the celebratory endorsements of ‘openness’ as applied to technology and design. On the other hand, we have a continuous and expanding critique of these very ideals and questions, where that critique identifies persisting forms of racial, gender, age, and class-based exclusions, and questions about the relationship between open design, labor and power remain largely unanswered.     

Action learning for further developing project management competencies: A case study from an engineering consultancy company

Competence development of the employees is a core element when it comes to successful implementation of planned change. In this article, findings from an in-depth empirical study in an engineering consultancy are presented. The consultancy wanted to further develop the organization due to changed market conditions. Among other initiatives, top management established a competence development programme for the project managers. Action learning was used as a developmental method in one of the projects in the programme. The research showed that certain preconditions needed to exist in order for the project managers to benefit from participating in action learning, e.g. a proper and respected selection process for participants, proper training of the facilitators, sufficient time spent together in each action learning session, and sufficient follow-up.     

Thrombin Inhibition Prevents Endothelial Dysfunction and Reverses 20-HETE Overproduction without Affecting Blood Pressure in Angiotensin II-Induced Hypertension in Mice

Angiotensin II (Ang II) induces hypertension and endothelial dysfunction, but the involvement of thrombin in these responses is not clear. Here, we assessed the effects of the inhibition of thrombin activity by dabigatran on Ang II-induced hypertension and endothelial dysfunction in mice with a particular focus on NO- and 20-HETE-dependent pathways. As expected, dabigatran administration significantly delayed thrombin generation (CAT assay) in Ang II-treated hypertensive mice, and interestingly, it prevented endothelial dysfunction development, but it did not affect elevated blood pressure nor excessive aortic wall thickening. Dabigatran’s effects on endothelial function in Ang II-treated mice were evidenced by improved NO-dependent relaxation in the aorta in response to acetylcholine in vivo (MRI measurements) and increased systemic NO bioavailability (NO₂⁻ quantification) with a concomitant increased ex vivo production of endothelium-derived NO (EPR analysis). Dabigatran treatment also contributed to the reduction in the endothelial expression of pro-inflammatory vWF and ICAM-1. Interestingly, the fall in systemic NO bioavailability in Ang II-treated mice was associated with increased 20-HETE concentration in plasma (UPLC-MS/MS analysis), which was normalised by dabigatran treatment. Taking together, the inhibition of thrombin activity in Ang II-induced hypertension in mice improves the NO-dependent function of vascular endothelium and normalises the 20-HETE-depedent pathway without affecting the blood pressure and vascular remodelling.     

Smart Manufacturing Through Digital Shop Floor Management Boards

Smart manufacturing, an offspring from Industry 4.0 (I4.0), defines the future for the manufacturing industry. Smart manufacturing leads to digitalization of the shop floor, which is automated, computerized and complex. To stay competitive, digitalization of the shop floor management (SFM) boards will be instrumental in improving performance management and continuous improvement. The purpose of this paper is to improve the understanding of SFM board meetings in the era of I4.0. The paper explores the current adaptation level of digital SFM boards, and identifies influencing forces for and forces against a further transition from analogue to digital SFM boards. Based on a survey and a subsequent workshop with practitioners, this paper reveals that digital SFM boards have not yet been adapted at shop floor level, and currently, practitioners are stuck to the standardized procedures and manual processes. The forces against a further adaptation are a managerial mindset stuck in an Industry 2.0 era and immature technologies to digitize the visualization of real-time data. The forces for are the need of enhancing data transparency within and across teams, which means elimination of information silos and time-consuming manual updates of SFM boards.

     

Lactic Acid Fermentation Reduces Acrylamide Formation and Other Maillard Reactions in French Fries

ABSTRACT Blanched and nonblanched potato rods (var. Beate) were fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum strain NC8 (10⁹ colony‐forming units [CFU]/mL) at 37 °C for 45 and 120 min. Potato rods were pre‐fried at 170 °C for 3 min, cooled, and subsequently deep‐fried for 2 min 15 s. Potato juice (var. Beate) was fermented with the same strain (108 CFU/mL) at 30 °C for 1 to 5 h. Lactic acid fermentation of nonblanched potato rods for 45 min reduced acrylamide level in French fries with 48%, and with 71% after 120 min. By blanching potato rods before fermentation, reductions in acrylamide after 45 min and 120 min were 79% and 94%, respectively. Blanching, and especially fermentation, reduced visually judged browning of the French fries. Fermentation of potato juice reduced pH from 5.70 to 4.05 after 3 h. Simultaneously, glucose declined from 610.8 mg/100 mL to 7.9 mg/100 mL, fructose from 457.8 mg/100 mL to 0.0 mg/100 mL, and sucrose from 132.0 mg/100 mL to 29.2 mg/100 mL. Asparagine content remained largely unaffected between 0 h (1217.5 μmol/100 mL) and 4 h (1175.6 μmol/100 mL) and increased slightly (1470.3 μmol/100 mL) after 5 h fermentation. Levels of several other amino acids involved in Maillard reactions, that is, alanine, arginine, phenylalanine, and serine, decreased during fermentation. It is concluded that acrylamide formation during production of French fries can be effectively lowered by lactic acid fermentation of potato rods before deep‐frying. The reduction is due to reduced levels of reducing sugars rather than reduction of available asparagine.