A simulation modeling approach to understanding workflow changes in healthcare: The case of CPOE deployment at the Ottawa Hospital

This work describes and illustrates the use of simulation modeling for evaluating and analyzing the impacts of workflow changes in healthcare resulting from the deployment of a computerized provider order entry (CPOE) system. It is motivated by our longitudinal research program which purports to explore simulation modeling as one of the means that can be applied not merely to contribute to an increased acceptance and use of CPOE systems, but also to aid in decision making. The setting used is The Ottawa Hospital, one of the Canada's largest teaching hospitals, and its multi-phase, multi-year CPOE deployment project for laboratory and diagnostic imaging orders to improve both patient safety and quality of care. The preliminary results indicate that the proposed simulation-based tool can be effectively applied in its current level of development to quantitatively evaluate and compare different options of workflow changes within a given set of operational and organizational constraints

Antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity of isoflavone metabolites

1. Soy isoflavones have been extensively studied because of their possible health-promoting effects. Genistein and daidzein, the major isoflavone aglycones, have received most attention; however, they undergo extensive metabolism in the gut and liver, which might affect their biological properties. 2. The antioxidant activity, free radical-scavenging properties and selected cellular effects of the isoflavone metabolites equol, 8-hydroxydaidzein, O-desmethylangiolensin, and 1,3,5 trihydroxybenzene were investigated in comparison with their parent aglycones, genistein and daidzein. 3. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy indicated that 8-hydroxydaidzein was the most potent scavenger of hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals. Isoflavone metabolites also exhibited higher antioxidant activity than parent compounds in standard antioxidant (FRAP and TEAC) assays. However, for the suppression of nitric oxide production by activated macrophages, genistein showed the highest potency, followed by equol and daidzein. 4. The metabolism of isoflavones affects their free radical scavenging and antioxidant properties, and their cellular activity, but the effects are complex

An assessment of the Accounting Perspective on Intellectual Capital and some results from the European Union

The work reports the use of two financial indicators of intellectual and human capital and their empirical findings from the study of European Union companies. The authors use the VAIC indicator (similar to the earlier chapter) and the impact intellectual and human capital has on firm financial performances. They report that the impact is not consistent among samples and business performance indicators in terms of both significance and sign of coefficients. The second model used is a modification of, and a partial repetition and validation of, the method originally developed by Olhson. The authors report that the indicators of structural capital and human capital are always significant, suggesting that this information is relevant for investors that operate on the European stock markets. This chapter is a worthy example of the use of two quantitative methods when conducting a rigorous financial analysis of intellectual capital and human capital, suggesting to researchers and practitioners that different methods and tools have very different validities for predicting future outcomes