Negotiating limits on algorithmic management in digitalised services: cases from Germany and Norway

Artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithms are increasingly used to monitor employees and to automate management decisions. In this article, we ask how worker representatives adapt traditional collective voice institutions to regulate the adoption and use of these tools in the workplace. Our findings are based on a comparative study of union and works council responses to algorithmic management in contact centres from two similar telecommunications companies in Germany and Norway. In both case studies, worker representatives mobilised collective voice institutions to protect worker privacy and discretion associated with remote monitoring and workforce management technologies. However, they relied on different sources of institutional power, connected to co-determination rights, enforcement of data protection laws, and labour cooperation structures.Negotiating limits on algorithmic management in digitalised services: cases from Germany and NorwayacceptedVersio

In vitro Aktivitätsbestimmung von experimentellen Chemotherapeutika gegen Plasmodium falciparum in Lambaréné, Gabun

Plasmodium falciparum, der Erreger der Malaria tropica, ist fast ausschließlich für Malariainfektionen in der Region Lambaréné, Gabun, verantwortlich. Resistenzentwicklungen dieser Malariaparasiten gegen Antimalariamedikamente stellen immer wieder ein Problem bei der Bekämpfung der Malaria weltweit dar. Berichte aus dem Grenzgebiet zwischen Thailand und Kambodscha über eine verringerte Sensitivität von Malariaparasiten nun auch gegen Artemisinin- verbindungen, die momentan noch als wirksamste Antimalariasubstanzen gelten, zeigen die Wichtigkeit einer Überwachung der Parasitensensitivität gegen Antimalariamedikamente und die Entwicklung neuer antiplasmodialer Wirkstoffe. Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Studie wurden von November 2010 bis August 2011 in vitro Sensitivitätstestungen von klinischen P. falciparum Isolaten aus Lambaréné, Gabun, gegen die Antimalariawirkstoffe Artesunat, Amodiaquin, Chinin, Chloroquin und Dihydroartemisinin durchgeführt. Gleichzeitig wurde der Proteasom-Inhibitor PW28 auf seine in vitro Wirksamkeit gegen die klinischen P. falciparum Isolate getestet. Die Bestimmung des Parasitenwachstums erfolgte durch die Quantifizierung des „P. falciparum-Histidin-Rich-Proteins-2“ (PfHRP2) mittels eines zweiseitigen Sandwich ELISAs. Inhibitorische Konzentrationen (50% bzw. 99%) der untersuchten Substanzen jedes Patienten bestimmte man durch eine nichtlineare Regressionsanalyse einer logarithmischen Konzentrations-Wirkungs-Kurve. Neben Pearson-Korrelationen wurden regionale Unterschiede zwischen den Wirksamkeiten der untersuchten Chemotherapeutika herausgearbeitet. Hierbei wurden die Patientenwohnorte mittels GPS-Daten erhoben und die Patienten vier Regionen zugeteilt. Mit einem Median der IC50-Werte von 1,2 nM bzw. 1,04 nM zeigten die Artemisininverbindungen Artesunat (N = 41) bzw. Dihydroartemisinin (N = 30) eine hohe Sensitivität. Für Amodiaquin (N = 40), der Partnerdroge von Artesunat zur Therapie der ersten Wahl bei P. falciparum Malaria, lag der IC50-Median von 6,18 nM im Bereich der Wirksamkeit. Für Chinin (N = 34), der Alternativmedikation zu Artesunat bei komplizierten P. falciparum Malariafällen, konnte mit einem IC50- Median von 97,1 nM kein Wirkungsverlust in den letzten Jahren in Lambaréné beobachtet werden. 14 der 15 gegen Chloroquin getesteten Isolate lagen über dem Resistenzschwellenwert von IC99 > 30 nM und wurden als resistent eingestuft. Der IC50-Median für Chloroquin betrug 29,2 nM. Mit einem IC50-Median von 34 nM zeigte PW28 (N = 22) eine gute antiplasmodiale Wirksamkeit und es konnten keine signifikanten Korrelationen von PW28 zu den anderen untersuchten Substanzen festgestellt werden. Dihydroartemisinin und Artesunat zeigten mit einem IC50-Median von 2,66 nM bzw. 2,73 nM in der Region Route Fougamou eine deutlich verminderte in vitro Sensitivität der Parasiten gegen den Wirkstoff im Vergleich zu den anderen drei Regionen (Nord 0,62 bzw. 0,94 nM/Lambaréné 0,81 bzw 0,76 nM/Süd 0,84 bzw. 0,85 nM). Eine ANOVA konnte für Dihydroartemisinin einen signifikanten Unterschied bestätigen, für Artesunat jedoch nicht. Die verminderte in vitro Sensitivität der Parasiten in der Region Route Fougamou gegen die zwei untersuchten Artemisininverbindungen könnte sich als Vorbote einer Resistenzentwicklung der Parasiten gegen diese Wirkstoffgruppe darstellen. Um herauszufinden, ob die beobachtete verminderte in vitro Sensitivität Auswirkungen auf den klinischen Behandlungserfolg des Medikamentes hat, sollten weitere Studien in dieser Region durchgeführt werden. Neben einer größeren Stichprobenzahl sollten zusätzlich in vivo Daten einer korrespondierenden klinischen Studie erhoben werden

A randomized clinical trial of home-based telepsychiatric outpatient care via videoconferencing: design, methodology, and implementation

Background Healthcare providers are continuously challenged to find innovative, cost-effective alternatives and to scale up existent services to meet the growing demand upon mental health care delivery. Due to continuous advances in technologies, telepsychiatry has become an effective tool for psychiatric care. In 2012, the Institute of Psychiatry of the University of São Paulo Medical School started a randomized clinical trial of home-based telepsychiatric outpatient care via videoconferencing. Objective The objective of this article is to describe the design, methodology and implementation of a pilot project, which aimed to verify the applicability and efficiency of psychiatric attendance via Internet-based videoconferencing in a resource-constrained environment. Methods The project consisted of a 12 months follow-up study with a randomized clinical trial, which compared various quality indicators between home-based telepsychiatric aftercare via videoconferencing and face-to-face aftercare. Results The final sample comprised 107 outpatients (53 in the telepsychiatry group and 54 in the control group). Among 1,227 realized consultations, 489 were held by videoconferencing. Satisfaction with the aftercare by videoconferencing and the medication delivery was high among patients. Attending psychiatrists were satisfied with the assistance by videoconferencing. Discussion The experiences during this pilot project have overall been very positive and psychiatric outpatient care by videoconferencing seems viable to treat patients even in a resource-constrained environment

Povezanost polimorfizma gena za interleukin-10 (-1082g/a) s tipom 2 šećerne bolesti i mikrovaskularnim komplikacijama u hrvatskoj populaciji

Interleukin (IL)-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine, and a decrease in its secretion is associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. However, it has not been established whether the intensity of the immune response during diabetes-associated chronic inflammation affects the devel-opment and/or progression of type 2 diabetes and its microvascular complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-1082G/A for IL-10 gene in development of diabetes type 2 and its complications. DNA was extracted from blood cells of 240 overweight/obese subjects for IL-10 genotyping. Based on the presence of diabetes type 2, patients were divided in two groups: experimental group of 144 patients with diabetes type 2 and control group of 96 age- and gender-matched subjects without diabetes. Compared to control group, diabetic group had higher levels of leukocytes (p=0.012), fibrinogen (p=0.049) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) (p=0.009), and lower levels of albumin (p=0.001). There were no differences in the frequency of SNP-1082G/A for IL-10 gene between the two groups (p=0.654). When considering diabetes related traits in all subjects in relation to specific genotype, a group with homozygous (AA) genotype had higher values of the mean fasting glucose (p<0.000001), HbA1c (p<0.000001) and HOMA-IR (p=0.003632), while the mean HOMA-B value (p=0.000178) was lower when compared to the groups with GG and GA genotypes. There was no difference in development of diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy and polyneuropathy between the IL-10 polymorphism genotypes. In conclusion, obese diabetes type 2 patients had an increased inflammation activity compared to obese non-diabetic individuals. There was no association of the investigated polymorphisms and development of type 2 diabetes and its microvascular complications. However, diabetes related traits clearly depended on the presence of specific IL-10 genotype.Smanjena sekrecija protuupalnog citokina interleukina (IL)-10 opisana je u debljini, metaboličkom sindromu i tipu 2 šećerne bolesti (T2ŠB). Međutim, nije utvrđeno može li intenzitet imunog odgovora tijekom kronične upale utjecati na razvoj i/ili progresiju dijabetesa kao i razvoj mikrovaskularnih komplikacija. Cilj ove studije bio je istražiti povezanost polimorfizma gena (SNP) -1082G/A za IL-10 s razvojem T2ŠB i kroničnih komplikacija. DNK za genotipizaciju se ekstrahirala iz krvnih stanica 240 adipoznih ispitanika koji su podijeljeni u dvije skupine: u eksperimentalnoj skupini bilo je 144 bolesnika s T2ŠB, a u kontrolnoj skupini 96 ispitanika usklađenih prema spolu i dobi. U skupini s T2ŠB nađene su više vrijednosti leukocita (p=0,012), fibrinogena (p=0,049) i inhibitora aktivacije plazminogena-1 (PAI-1) (p=0,009) te niže koncentracije albumina (p=0,001) nego u kontrolnoj skupini. Nije bilo statističke razlike u frekvencijama -1082G/A polimorfizma gena za IL-10 (p=0,654). Kada su se gledali ishodi za specifični genotip u svih ispitanika, ispitanici s homozigotnim genotipom (AA) imali su značajno više koncentracije glukoze natašte (p<0,000001), HbA1c (p<0,000001) i HOMA-IR (p=0,003632) te niži indeks HOMA-B (p=0,000178) u odnosu na ispitanike s genotipovima GG i GA. Nije bilo razlike u genotipovima polimorfizma IL-10 gena i razvoja nefropatije, retinopatije i polineuropatije. U zaključku, pretili bolesnici s T2ŠB imali su pojačanu upalnu aktivnost u usporedbi s pretilim ispitanicima bez šećerne bolesti. Nije utvrđena povezanost polimorfizma IL-10 i razvoja T2ŠB kao ni razvoja mikrovaskularnih komplikacija. Međutim, ishodi povezani s dijabetesom jasno su povezani s određenim genotipom IL-10

A contribution to the identification of charcoal origin in Brazil II : macroscopic characterization of cerrado species

O cerrado brasileiro é a savana mais rica do mundo. Também é um dos biomas mais ameaçados do país e um hotspot de prioridade de conservação. As principais causas do desmatamento no cerrado são as práticas agrícolas, pecuária e produção de carvão vegetal. Apesar da produção de carvão possuir menor impacto, seu consumo representa o desmatamento de 16.000 Km² do cerrado. Para a conservação do bioma é essencial aprimorar a fiscalização florestal. Assim sendo, neste trabalho apresentamos a caracterização macroscópica de carvão vegetal de 25 espécies do cerrado. Simulamos as condições reais de profissionais que realizam a fiscalização, usando ampliações de 10x, 25x e 65x. Igualmente, as micrografias dos carvões são todas das seções transversais devido à maior quantidade de informações anatômicas. Analisamos também a textura, o brilho, a vitrificação, rupturas e alguns caracteres especiais. As espécies apresentam várias diferenças em sua estrutura anatômica. Embora algumas sejam muito características, este trabalho não tem intenção de identificar carvões apenas por análises de macroscopia. Mas pode fornecer orientações para futura identificação de gêneros ou espécies. Também fornece conhecimento para os agentes governamentais poderem verificar os documentos de origem florestal por análise rápida de amostra do próprio carvão.The Brazilian Cerrado is the richest savanna in the world. It is also one of the biomes more threatened in the country and a hotspot for conservation priorities. The main causes of deforestation in Cerrado are agricultural practices, livestock and charcoal production. Although charcoal has a minor impact, its consumption represents the deforestation of 16.000 Km² of the Cerrado. To contribute for the biomes's conservation it is very important to improve forestry supervision. Thus, in this work we present the macroscopic characterization of charcoal from 25 Cerrado's species. We simulate the real conditions of forest controllers by using the magnifications of 10x, 25x and 65x. Likewise, the charcoals micrographs are all of transverse sections due to the larger amount of anatomical information. We also analyzed texture, brightness, vitrification, ruptures and some special features. The species present several differences in their anatomical structure. Although some of them are very unique, this work does not intent to identify charcoals only by macroscopic analyses. But it might give directions to future identification of genera or species. It also provides knowledge for government agents to verify the documents of forestry origin by fast analyzing a sample of charcoal itself