Negotiating hospital infections: The debate between ecological balance and eradication strategies in British hospitals, 1947-1969

This paper reviews and contrasts two strategies of infection control that emerged in response to the growing use of antibiotics within British hospitals, c.1946-1969. At this time, we argue, the hospital became an arena within which representatives of the medical sciences and clinical practices contested not so much the content of knowledge but the way that knowledge translated into practice. Key to our story are the conceptual assumptions about antibiotics put forward by clinicians, on the one hand, and microbiologists on the other. The former embraced antibiotics as the latest weapon in their fight to eradicate disease. For clinicians, the use of antibiotics were utilised within a conceptual frame that prioritised the value of the individual patient before them. Microbiologists, in contrast, understood antibiotics quite differently. They adopted a complex understanding of the way antibiotics functioned within the hospital environment that emphasised the relational and ecological aspects of their use. Despite their broader environmental focus, microbiologists focus on the ways in which bacteria travelled led to ever greater emphasis to be placed on the «healthy» body which, having been exposed to antibiotics, became a dangerous carrier of resistant staphylococcal strains. The surrounding debate regarding the appropriate use of antibiotics reveals the complex relationship between hospital, the medical sciences and clinical practice. We conclude that the history of hospital infections invites a more fundamental reflection on global hospital cultures, antibiotic prescription practices, and the fostering of an interdisciplinary spirit among the professional groups living and working in the hospital.Wellcome Trust Strategic Awar

A touch and pair system for battery-free 802.15.4/ZigBee home automation networks

In this paper, 2 problems affecting the acceptance of wireless devices by a wider public are introduced, and possible solutions are suggested. The first obstacle is linked to the necessity of changing the batteries of autonomous wireless nodes after. Although this problem can be solved to a certain extent by using battery-less devices, the energy need of flexible protocols such as ZigBee increases the complexity of such a device autonomously joining a network (including association and binding). A solution based on RFID components that allow the transfer of pairing information using a “Touch and Pair” system is presented. It is shown that a consumer device such as an iPod/iPhone can be modified to serve as a user friendly pairing device. Using ultra low power components, battery-less switches sending ZigBee compatible frames are built. Key network parameters can be transferred from the iPod/iPhone to the switch or other endpoints and thus allow a fast and simple configuration of battery-less elements on the network

Does the ‘Educational Alliance’ conceptualize the student - supervisor relationship when conducting a master thesis in medicine? An interview study

Background Completing a master thesis (MT) is mandatory in many undergraduate curricula in medicine but a specific educational framework to guide the supervisor-student relationship during the MT has not been published. This could be helpful to facilitate the MT process and to more effectively reach the learning objectives related to science education in medicine. An attractive model for this purpose is the ‘Educational Alliance’ (EA), which focusses on the three components ‘clarity and agreement on (a) goals, (b) tasks and (c) relationship & roles’. This study investigated factors that can either facilitate or hinder the process of MTs, and related these to the components of the EA. Methods We conducted semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 20 students and – separately – with their 20 corresponding supervisors, after the MT had been accepted. The interviews included open questions on factors facilitating or hindering the success of the MT. Audio recordings of the interviews were anonymized and transcribed, and then analysed by qualitative content analysis. Also, quantitative data were gathered on satisfaction with the MT process and the supervisory quality (using Likert-type questions). Results We were able to analyse all 40 interviews, related to 20 MTs. From the transcripts, we extracted 469 comments related to the research question and categorized these into the four main categories (a) ‘Preparation’, (b) ‘Process’, (c) ‘Atmosphere’, (d) ‘Value of the MT’. Interviewees highlighted the importance of a careful preparation phase, clear expectations, a clear research plan, thorough and timely feedback, mutual agreement on timelines, and a positive working atmosphere. Each of these factors could be brought in line with the three components of the EA framework: agreement and clarity of goals, tasks, relationships & roles. Satisfaction with the MT process was rated 8.75 ± 1.22 SD (of 10) points by supervisors, and 7.80 ± 1.61 SD points by students, while supervision quality was rated + 1.51 ± 0.63 SD (scale from − 2 to + 2) by supervisors, and + 1.26 ± 0.93 SD by students. Conclusion We propose the EA framework as a useful guidance for students, supervisors, and the university towards conducting successful MTs in medicine. Based on the findings, we provide specific recommendations for students, supervisors, and university

Measurement of cerebral oxygen pressure in living mice by two-photon phosphorescence lifetime microscopy

The ability to quantify partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) is of primary importance for studies of metabolic processes in health and disease. Here, we present a protocol for imaging of oxygen distributions in tissue and vasculature of the cerebral cortex of anesthetized and awake mice. We describe in vivo two-photon phosphorescence lifetime microscopy (2PLM) of oxygen using the probe Oxyphor 2P. This minimally invasive protocol outperforms existing approaches in terms of accuracy, resolution, and imaging depth

Seillinienplanung: Genauigkeit der Einzelbaumdetektion mit drohnengenerierten Luftbildern

Mit Drohnen erhobene Informationen haben das Potenzial, die Planung und Absteckung von Seillinien zu vereinfachen. Voraussetzung dafür ist, dass 1) die Stammfusskoordinaten potenzieller Stützen- und Ankerbäume und 2) deren Brusthöhendurchmesser (BHD) im aus den Drohnendaten gewonnenen Oberflächenmodell genügend genau ermittelt werden können. Um die erzielbaren Genauigkeiten zu analysieren, wurden zwei Schweizer Marteloskope mit der Drohne eBee Classic von senseFly auf einer Höhe von 180 m beflogen und Luftbilder mit einer Kamera von Sony mit einer Auflösung von 18.2 Megapixel hergestellt. In dem daraus abgeleiteten normalisierten Oberflächenmodell (nDOM) wurden die lokalen Maxima (Baumspitzen) mit der Einzelbaumdetektionssoftware «FINT» bestimmt. Für diese wurden die Koordinaten und der Brusthöhendurchmesser abgeleitet. Die Detektionsrate lag bei beiden Marteloskopen bei 65%. Die Koordinaten wichen im Durchschnitt weniger als 1.4 m von den terrestrisch ermittelten Stammfusskoordinaten ab. Die vorherrschenden und herrschenden Bäume konnten noch genauer lokalisiert werden. Der BHD liess sich im Durchschnitt auf 5 cm genau bestimmen. Ein Praxistest mit neun Seillinien zeigte, dass die ermittelten Koordinaten genügend genau waren, um die im nDOM bestimmten Stützenbäume für die forsttechnische Realisierung der Seillinien zu verwenden. Eine Geländebegehung ist weiterhin erforderlich, um die Verwurzelung und mögliche Schäden der potenziellen Stützenbäume zu überprüfen.Les informations recueillies par les drones peuvent simplifier la planification et le tracé des lignes de câble. Pour cela, la condition est que 1) les coordonnées des potentiels arbres-pylônes et arbres d'ancrage à leur pied et 2) leur diamètre à hauteur de poitrine (DHP) puissent être déterminés avec une précision suffisante dans le modèle de surface obtenu à partir des données de drone. Afin d'analyser les précisions atteignables, un drone eBee Classic a volé à 180 m au-dessus de deux marteloscopes suisses et a réalisé des photos aériennes avec une caméra Sony, d'une résolution de 18.2 mégapixels. Dans le modèle de surface normalisé (nDOM) obtenu grâce à elles, les maxima locaux (cimes des arbres) ont été déterminés avec le logiciel de détection des arbres «FINT». Leurs coordonnées et diamètre à hauteur de poitrine ont ensuite été dérivés. Le taux de détection est d'environ 65% dans les deux marteloscopes. Les coordonnées varient en moyenne de 1,4 m par rapport à celles relevées sur le terrain, au pied des arbres. Les arbres prédominants et dominants sont localisés plus précisément. Le DHP est déterminé avec une précision de 5 cm en moyenne. Un test pratique sur neuf lignes de câble a montré que les coordonnées ainsi déterminées étaient suffisamment précises pour utiliser les arbres-pylônes déterminés dans nDOM lors de la réalisation technique des lignes de câble. Une inspection du site reste nécessaire pour vérifier l'enracinement et l'absence de dégâts des arbres-pylônes potentiels.Information collected with drones has the potential to simplify the planning and marking of skylines. The prerequisite for this is that 1) the tree coordinates of potential intermediate support and anchor trees and 2) their diameter at breast height (DBH) can be determined with sufficient accuracy in the surface model obtained from the drone data. To analyse the achievable accuracies, two Swiss marteloscopes were surveyed with a senseFly eBee Classic drone at a height of 180 m and aerial photos were taken with a Sony camera with a resolution of 18.2 megapixels. In the resulting normalised surface model (nDOM) the local maxima (treetops) were determined with the single-tree detection software “FINT”. For these treetops the coordinates and the DBH were determined. The detection rate for both marteloscopes was 65%. On average, the coordinates deviated less than 1.4 m from the terrestrial reference tree coordinates. The predominant and dominant trees could be located even more precisely. The DBH was determined with an average accuracy of 5 cm. A practical test with nine skylines showed that the coordinates were accurate enough to use the support trees determined in the nDOM for the technical realisation of the skylines. However, an on-site inspection is still necessary to check the potential intermediate support trees for damages, invisible in the aerial view