Factors influencing the intention to comply with data protection regulations in hospitals: based on gender differences in behaviour and deterrence

German hospitals are required to comply with, and give due consideration to, the data protection laws and regulations that apply to their daily work. However, the data protection scandals that have occurred in Germany in recent years imply that this compliance on the part of hospital employees cannot be taken for granted. According to the literature available, psychological factors may account for this fact – in particular the variables of the theory of planned behaviour and the general deterrence theory. In keeping with these theories, this research has analysed the influences of the attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control on employees’ intentions to comply with data protection regulations. A survey was conducted among hospital employees in Germany to further identify the most significant factors influencing their intention to comply with data protection and the variance in intention between men and women. The results suggest that psychological factors such as attitude, subjective norms and perceived behaviour control are significantly influential and find significant differences between the genders in the intention to comply with data protection regulations. The results of this study demonstrate that there are practical implications that, if implemented, can lead to a higher standard of data protection compliance in hospitals in the future by taking the technical and organisational measures of awareness for data protection compliance into account.     

Atomistically informed crystal plasticity model for body-centered cubic iron

The glide of screw dislocations with non-planar dislocation cores dominates the plastic deformation behavior in body-centered cubic iron. This yields a strong strain rate and temperature dependence of the flow stress, the breakdown of Schmid’s law and a dependence of dislocation mobility on stress components that do not contribute to the mechanical driving force of dislocation glide. We developed a constitutive plasticity model that takes all these effects into account. The model is based on the crystal plasticity approach and parameterized by performing molecular statics calculations using a semi-empirical potential. The atomistic studies yield quantitative relations between local stress tensor components and the mobility of dislocations. Together with experimental stress–strain curves obtained for two different orientations of iron single crystals taken from the literature, the constitutive law is completely parameterized. The model is validated by comparing numerical single crystal tension tests for a third orientation to the equivalent experimental data from the literature. We also provide results for the temperature and strain rate dependence of the new atomistically informed constitutive model.     

Darstellung und Bewertung von Modellen für die Ausbreitung kurzer Risse bei Schwingbeanspruchungen

Evaluation of Recent Models for Short Fatigue Cracks In the present study some new procedures for the evaluation of the propagation behavior of small cracks at notches which were originally proposed by T. H. Topper et al. and by K. J. Miller et al. are considered. They are presented in a manner that they can immediately be used for practical applications. The basis of the procedures and their ranges in application are considered and they are compared to conventional fracture mechanics analyses. In a second part of the study still existing limitations in the physical basis of the procedures are outlined and some aspects regarding the extension of the range in application of the procedures to variable amplitude loading histories are given.     

ZF-ECOLIFE-适用于城市公共汽车的、现代化的动力换档变速器

除了内燃机和车桥系统外,道路车辆的传动系统主要由变速器所决定.目前城市公共汽车中主要采用动力换档的自动变速器,特别是因为它们具有舒适性高和操纵便捷的特点.今天变速器系统的新挑战源自于内燃机的改进,特别是受制于排放法规使得内燃机提高转矩和冷却温度.另一方面,车辆的全寿命成本正变得更加重要,并由此带来技术方面的挑战,例如更高的可靠性和更佳的燃油经济性等.将诸如成本、舒适性最优等各种要求合并,形成了相当复杂的需求内容.而且这些需求对车辆制造商和诸如操作人员的最终用户有所不同.因此ZF公司开发新一代动力换档变速器,将长期目标与诸如更广的车辆应用场合、降低全寿命成本、简化使用条件等用户需求相结合.采用QFD(质量功能展开)方法分析后发现,由液力变矩器、行星齿轮机构和初级缓速器组成的动力换档变速器是满足各种不同需求的最佳方案.我们开发的新变速器在设计和制造的各个细节方面均采用了特殊和全新的解决方案.将最新的开发工具和方法应用与概念定义中.最终形成的动力换档变速器是一个6档行星齿轮变速器、带锁止离合器的液力变矩器,并可选装扭转减振器.新的冷却系统有两个热交换器,以提高系统的可靠性和改善城市公共汽车初级缓速器的制动转矩以适应更重的车辆、较高平均速度、长时间性能和舒适性等方面的要求.新型ECU直接安装在变速器上,其电气安装界面做到最小.其结论是,新型动力换档变速器的优势非常突出,因为它们体现了当代和今后动力传动系统应有的高性能,以及更佳的全寿命成本和优越的舒适性;并且在安全性和环保方面都相当出色.最后强调一下,我们将其取名为EcoLife,象征着更高的经济性和生态效益以及寿命.     

Metabolism of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) in isolated rat lung and liver

PURPOSE: Assessment of sustained voluntary contraction of the external sphincter is helpful in evaluating the patient who has a defecation disorder on presentation. A new index of external sphincter function is described. METHOD: A prospective registry of patients referred for computerized anal manometry using standard protocols was reviewed. Patients were grouped by primary symptoms; those with overlapping complaints were excluded. The rate of fatigue, defined as the change in stationary squeeze over a 40-second period of voluntary contraction, was calculated by linear regression analysis. Fatigue rate index, a calculated measure of time necessary for the external sphincter to become completely fatigued, was determined to permit comparison of external sphincter fatigue in patients with different complaints. RESULTS: Twenty-six healthy volunteers (15 women; mean age, 45 years), 33 patients with a primary complaint of anal seepage (13 women; mean age, 53 years), 75 patients with gross incontinence (61 women; mean age, 53 years), and 49 patients with severe constipation (41 women; mean age, 45 years) were evaluated. Mean resting and squeeze pressures were 55 mmHg and 107 mmHg for volunteers, 37 mmHg and 97 mmHg for patients with seepage, 30 mmHg and 49 mmHg for incontinent patients, and 56 mmHg and 93 mmHg for constipated patients. Pudendal neuropathy, as evidenced by a prolonged pudendal nerve terminal motor latency (> 2.4 ms), was identified in 13 percent of volunteers, 32 percent of patients with seepage, 54 percent of incontinent patients, and 38 percent of constipated patients. Mean fatigue rate index was 3.3 minutes for volunteers, 2.3 minutes for seepage patients, 1.5 minutes for incontinent patients, and 2.8 minutes for constipated patients. Compared with volunteers and patients with seepage, the incontinent patients had a significantly shorter fatigue rate index (P < 0.05; Student's t-test), which was independent of the variations in resting pressure (P < 0.05; two-way analysis of variance). CONCLUSION: The external anal sphincter is normally subject to fatigue. Patients with worsening degrees of incontinence have a predictably lower fatigue rate index. Fatigue rate index is a simple measure of external sphincter integrity, which may be used in assessment of sphincter function and future treatment protocols.     

Effects of simmer current on flash-lamp impedance and their combined influence on the output of the Ho,Cr,Tm:YAG laser

The increase in slope efficiency and the reduction of the laser threshold of a flash-lamp-pumped Ho,Cr,Tm:YAG laser that are due to increased flash-lamp efficiency when the current of the dc simmer is increased are described. Investigations of the electrical characteristics of the flash lamp as a function of the simmer current prove that the flash-lamp impedance decreases to a constant value when the dc simmer current is increased. As a consequence an increase of the peak current through the flash lamp is observed, which improves the flash-lamp efficiency.     

Interaction of holmium laser radiation and cortical bone: ablation and thermal damage in a turbid medium

The ablation of cortical bone by holmium laser radiation is described by experimental values of the ablation rate, the depth of tissue damage, and the tissue temperature. An ablation model is presented on the basis of photon diffusion in a turbid medium. When this model is compared with experimental results for the ablation rate, the penetration depth is determined. The expansion of the laser-induced heat can be explained by a point heat source located in a distance beneath the surface equal to the ablation depth. The accumulation of heat as a function of the repetition rate of the laser leads to a limitation of the repetition rate. In order to avoid traumatic heat accumulation, a maximum repetition rate should not be exceeded.     

Participation, animation, design: a tripartite approach to urban community networking

Theories of networked individualism and forms of urban alienation challenge the continued purpose and relevance of conventional community tools in urban neighbourhood. However, the majority of urban residents surveyed in this research still believe that there are people living in their immediate neighbourhood who may share their interests or who are at least personally compatible, but they do not know them. Web-based community networking systems have the potential to facilitate intra-neighbourhood interaction and support community-building efforts. Community networking studies have shown that technical connectivity alone does not ensure community and that new and weak communities do not benefit from community networking systems as much as existing and strong communities do. This paper builds on these findings to present a methodology combining principles of participation, animation and design. This approach builds on intrinsic motivation in residents to find out about and meet one another in a private and inobtrusive way. It encourages residents to take social ownership of the community-building process and the community network. The approach recognises the network qualities in the communicative ecology of urban residents and supplements collective approaches towards community-building with personalised networking strategies.     

Location-Aware Computing, Virtual Networks

This issue includes four works in process on issues and applications in location-aware computing: letting users set and control privacy policies when they use location-aware applications, cold-starting recommender systems for mobile location-aware services, aggregating contextual information for location-based applications, and applying location-based services to public transportation environments. The department also includes a report on lightweight virtualization of low-power wireless personal area networks.