Eliciting usage contexts of safety-critical medical devices

This position paper outlines our approach to improve the usage choice of suitable devices in different health care environments (contexts). Safety-critical medical devices are presumed to have undergone a thorough (user-centred) design process to optimize the device for the intended purpose, user group and environment. However, in real-life health care scenarios, actual usage may not reflect the original design parameters. We suggest the identification of further usage contexts for safety-critical medical devices through ethnographic and other studies, to assist better modelling of the challenges of different usage environments. In combination with system and interaction models, these context models can then be used for decision-support in choosing medical devices that are suitable for the intended environment

Social Opacity: Comparing Maya and National Mexican People in Chiapas, Mexico with a US Sample

M.A

Latino Agenda 2000

Few would argue that our community\u27s position is precarious. On the one hand, we are a growing presence in the Commonwealth. In 1995, there were an estimated 344,068 Latinos living in Massachusetts, representing 5.6% of the total state population, a 20% increase since 1990. It is expected that the 2000 census will confirm that Latinos are indeed the largest minority group in the state. Latinos make up an even larger proportion of the total population of a number of key cities, including Lawrence (48%), Chelsea (39%), Holyoke (37%), Springfield (20%), and Boston (12%). Latino youth have formed the largest minority youth population since 1990. As a result, Latino school enrollments have grown to such a degree statewide that Latinos students now make up an even greater proportion of the total public school enrollments in Lawrence (78%), Holyoke (69%), Chelsea (65%), and Boston (26%). This growth is beginning to bring heightened visibility. There are three Latinos serving as state representatives in Massachusetts. This is a major gain, considering that only one other Latino had ever previously been elected state representative. In the once economically depressed sections of Lawrence, Boston, and Springfield, Latino small business districts have emerged and are thriving by serving an ethnic market. The Latino community is adding to the area\u27s cultural fabric through the arts, ethnic festivals, and the achievements of local sports heroes. On the other hand, Latinos in Massachusetts continue to experience disproportionate and severe social and economic disadvantage. Consider the following facts: Forty-seven percent of Latino households and 55% of Latino children live below the poverty line; Latino students have the highest school dropout and MCAS failure rates in the state; Latinos are least likely to have health insurance; Latino homeownership rates lag behind most other groups in the state. In short, the overall condition of Latinos is poorer than any other population in Massachusetts, and even worse than Hispanics in most areas of the country. Because of this situation, we, as a community, have much to gain from purposeful policy development. Yet, it seems that, along with other people of color, we are thrust into the spotlight when it comes to social problems and the need for scapegoats, but are rendered invisible when it comes to participation in strategic decision-making, public discourse, and resource allocation

Control of defect-mediated tunneling barrier heights in ultrathin MgO films

The impact of oxygen vacancies on local tunneling properties across rf-sputtered MgO thin films was investigated by optical absorption spectroscopy and conducting atomic force microscopy. Adding O$_2$ to the Ar plasma during MgO growth alters the oxygen defect populations, leading to improved local tunneling characteristics such as a lower density of current hotspots and a lower tunnel current amplitude. We discuss a defect-based potential landscape across ultrathin MgO barriers.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Students and their videos: implications for a video digital library

Personal information collections have expanded to include video files but users often organize their content with the same tools they use for other simpler media types. We analyze the ‘native’ video management behavior expressed in 35 self-interviews and diary studies produced by New Zealand students, to create a ‘rich picture’ of personal video collection size, formats, organization and intended usage. We consider how conventional digital libraries can better support usage of personal video material

Personal video collection management behavior

Video content typically consumes more storage space and bandwidth than other document types although users structure their content with the same organisational tools they use for smaller and simpler items. We analyze the "native" video management behavior as expressed in 35 self-interviews and diary studies produced by New Zealand students, to create a "rich picture" of personal video collections. We see that personal collections can have diffuse boundaries and many different intended users' and that these information management needs are difficult to fulfill with their homegrown video collection management strategies

Investigating the use of activity trackers to observe high-risk work environments

The New Zealand forestry industry has the country's highest rate of workplace fatalities. The reasons are not well studied or understood and no large-scale systematic physical and physiological data has been recorded to investigate this. Current research focusses on developing mechanised solutions and changing worker behaviour. We believe the first step in identifying any successful solution is to develop a fine-grained understanding of the physical context of forestry work by performing large-scale data collection of the levels of physical activity the workers engage in as well as their sleep patterns over extended periods of time. Our goal is to use lightweight, wearable technology (so-called activity trackers) to collect this data. In order to do so we need a clear understanding of the capabilities and limitations of such devices, both in general and in the proposed use environment for forestry workers. In this paper we present the results of user studies and comparisons of six activity trackers and three mobile phone applications used to track activity and sleep. We also discuss our initial pilot study with forestry workers and discuss the problems encountered using the trackers in the environment

What's news? Encounters with news in everyday life: A study of behaviours and attitudes

As the news landscape changes, for many users the nature of news itself is changing as well. Insights into the changing news behaviour of users can inform the design of access tools and news archives. We analysed a set of 35 autoethnographies of news encounters, created by students in New Zealand. These comprise rich descriptions of the news sources, modalities, topics of interest, and news ‘routines’ by which the students keep in touch with friends and maintain awareness of personal, local, national, and international events. We explore the implications of these insights into news behaviour for digital news systems

Chronic heart failure with diabetes mellitus is characterized by a severe skeletal muscle pathology

Background Patients with coexistent chronic heart failure (CHF) and diabetes mellitus (DM) demonstrate greater exercise limitation and worse prognosis compared with CHF patients without DM, even when corrected for cardiac dysfunction. Understanding the origins of symptoms in this subgroup may facilitate development of targeted treatments. We therefore characterized the skeletal muscle phenotype and its relationship to exercise limitation in patients with diabetic heart failure (D‐HF). Methods In one of the largest muscle sampling studies in a CHF population, pectoralis major biopsies were taken from age‐matched controls (n = 25), DM (n = 10), CHF (n = 52), and D‐HF (n = 28) patients. In situ mitochondrial function and reactive oxygen species, fibre morphology, capillarity, and gene expression analyses were performed and correlated to whole‐body exercise capacity. Results Mitochondrial respiration, content, coupling efficiency, and intrinsic function were lower in D‐HF patients compared with other groups (P < 0.05). A unique mitochondrial complex I dysfunction was present in D‐HF patients only (P < 0.05), which strongly correlated to exercise capacity (R2 = 0.64; P < 0.001). Mitochondrial impairments in D‐HF corresponded to higher levels of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (P < 0.05) and lower gene expression of anti‐oxidative enzyme superoxide dismutase 2 (P < 0.05) and complex I subunit NDUFS1 (P < 0.05). D‐HF was also associated with severe fibre atrophy (P < 0.05) and reduced local fibre capillarity (P < 0.05). Conclusions Patients with D‐HF develop a specific skeletal muscle pathology, characterized by mitochondrial impairments, fibre atrophy, and derangements in the capillary network that are linked to exercise intolerance. These novel preliminary data support skeletal muscle as a potential therapeutic target for treating patients with D‐HF

Adhesion of <i>Pseudomonas fluorescens</i> biofilms to glass, stainless steel and cellulose

Objectives: The adhesion of colloidal probes of stainless steel, glass and cellulose to Pseudomonas fluorescens biofilms was examined using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to allow comparisons between surfaces to which biofilms might adhere. Results: Biofilm was grown on a stainless steel substrate and covered most of the surface after 96 h. AFM approach and retraction curves were obtained when the biofilm was immersed in a tryptone/soy medium. On approach, all the colloidal probes experienced a long non-contact phase more than 100 nm in length, possibly due to the steric repulsion by extracellular polymers from the biofilm and hydrophobic effects. Retraction data showed that the adhesion varied from position to position on the biofilm. The mean value of adhesion of glass to the biofilm (48 ± 7 nN) was the greatest, followed by stainless steel (30 ± 7 nN) and cellulose (7.8 ± 0.4 nN). Conclusion: The method allows understanding of adhesion between the three materials and biofilm, and development of a better strategy to remove the biofilm from these surfaces relevant to different industrial applications