Core Asset Repository Methodology (CARM) for Software Reuse

One of the main barriers to overcome when initiating knowledge management (KM) processes within organizations is the structuring of a knowledge repository to disseminate and reuse knowledge throughout the organization. A core asset repository methodology (CARM) is presented in this paper for developing a knowledge repository that encompasses a set of components, which represent abstract design solutions for a family of related problems. The CARM was developed and implemented as a real-time core asset repository (RTCAR) for an actual software development department of a large hightech organization. The rationale for building the knowledge repository is discussed as well as the technical, managerial and cultural aspects that should be considered when developing it. In addition, the RTCAR findings are presented with examples taken from usage scenarios. The findings show that a knowledge repository constructed according to CARM is conducive to software component reuse, a shortened development cycle and improved software quality

Hemispheric processing of vocal emblem sounds

Vocal emblems, such as shh and brr, are speech sounds that have linguistic and nonlinguistic features; thus, it is unclear how they are processed in the brain. Five adult dextral individuals with left-brain damage and moderate– severe Wernicke’s aphasia, five adult dextral individuals with right-brain damage, and five Controls participated in two tasks: (1) matching vocal emblems to photographs (‘picture task’) and (2) matching vocal emblems to verbal translations (‘phrase task’). Cross-group statistical analyses on items on which the Controls performed at ceiling revealed lower accuracy by the group with left-brain damage (than by Controls) on both tasks, and lower accuracy by the group with right-brain damage (than by Controls) on the picture task. Additionally, the group with left-brain damage performed significantly less accurately than the group with right-brain damage on the phrase task only. Findings suggest that comprehension of vocal emblems recruits more left- than right-hemisphere processing

Judicial Diversity in Israel: an Empirical Study of Judges, Lawyers and Law Students

Israel has witnessed both the judicialization of politics and growing criticism that the judiciary does not reflect the diversity of Israeli society. However, no comprehensive analysis of judicial diversity in Israel has existed. In addition, despite substantial changes in legal education and the legal profession in Israel in the past two decades, there has been no research into the demographics of Israeli lawyers and law students who make up the “pool” for future judicial appointments. These factors, along with recent proposals to reform the judicial selection procedure, form the background to this research, the aims of which are: (1) To provide the first comprehensive analysis of judicial diversity in Israel; (2) To provide the first study of diversity amongst Israeli lawyers and law students; (3) To explore perceptions of Israeli lawyers and law students regarding judicial diversity in Israel. To achieve this, three large-scale quantitative empirical studies were carried out. The first study draws on publicly available information to profile the diversity of all judges in the general court system in Israel (covering over 700 judges). The other two studies surveyed lawyers and law students in Israel, profiling the diversity of each group and examining their views about the Israeli judiciary, judicial diversity in general and in Israel, as well as their interest in a judicial career. The three studies therefore provide a unique insight into judicial diversity in Israel as it currently stands as well as the where it may be heading in the immediate and longer-term future. The thesis also places its findings within the continuing debate about judicial diversity in Israel, and it explores how judicial diversity in Israeli fits within the wider scholarship on judicial diversity worldwide

Survey of Threats and Assaults by Patients on Psychiatry Residents

Objective:To determine the current life time professional prevalence of threats and assaults by patients on psychiatry residents, their consequences, perceived adequacy of supports and institutional responses. Methods:An anonymous survey of 519 psychiatry residents in 13 psychiatry programs across the United States was conducted between March and June 2008. Results:The response rate for this survey was 38% (n = 204). Sixty one percent of the responders were female, and 30% were members of a visibly identifiable ethnic minority.The majority (72.4%) of those involved in an incident reported experiencing mild to severe psychological distress. Almost a third (31.6%) made requests to the hospital or department to improve safety. Most residents (93.8%) felt policies on psychological support after an assault would be helpful. Conclusion:This study calls attention to the high numbers of residents that are affected by violence during their training, and underscores the need for clear policy and training, in order to prevent and adequately respond to assaults, threats, and their consequences among psychiatry residents. Presented at the UMass Department of Psychiatry Research Day, October 2009

A Socially Assistive Robot for Stroke Patients: Acceptance, Needs, and Concerns of Patients and Informal Caregivers

Stroke patients often contend with long-term physical challenges that require treatment and support from both formal and informal caregivers. Socially Assistive Robots (SARs) can assist patients in their physical rehabilitation process and relieve some of the burden on the informal caregivers, such as spouses and family members. We collected and analyzed information from 23 participants (11 stroke patients and 12 informal caregivers) who participated in a total of six focus-group discussions. The participants responded to questions regarding using a SAR to promote physical exercises during the rehabilitation process: (a) the advantages and disadvantages of doing so; (b) specific needs that they wish a SAR would address; (c) patient-specific adaptations they would propose to include; and (d) concerns they had regarding the use of such technology in stroke rehabilitation. We found that the majority of the participants in both groups were interested in experiencing the use of a SAR for rehabilitation, in the clinic and at home. Both groups noted the advantage of having the constant presence of a motivating entity with whom they can practice their rehabilitative exercises. The patients noted how such a device can assist formal caregivers in managing their workload, while the informal caregivers indicated that such a system could ease their own workload and sense of burden. The main disadvantages that participants noted related to the robot not possessing human abilities, such as the ability to hold a conversation, to physically guide the patient's movements, and to express or understand emotions. We anticipate that the data collected in this study—input from the patients and their family members, including the similarities and differences between their points of view—will aid in improving the development of SARs for rehabilitation, so that they can better suit people who have had a stroke, and meet their individual needs

Quality-by-Design for the safe development of medical devices containing nanomaterials. A study case in photodynamic therapy

Présentation PosterInternational audienceBackground. According to the new medical device regulation (MDR 2017/745), devices employing advanced materials containing nanomaterials will be classified as class III and will have to undergo (re-)assessment of risks. To that aim, the Quality-by-Design approach, as defined in ICH Q8-Q11 (QbD), is indisputably accepted and strongly recommended by the FDA and EMA for risk assessment during drug development. Some papers have emphasized the possible implementation of QbD in the medical device industry [1]. Nevertheless, to date no real and effective adaptation of this risk-based quality management approach has been adapted to biomedical devices manufacturing [2]. Objectives. Our goal is to develop both a new QbD paradigm and a web-based tool devoted to the safe development of class-III medical devices containing nanomaterials. This objective is pursued in the context of the European H2020 project TBMED (An Open Innovation test bed for the development of high-risk medical devices).Methods. A six-step QbD approach is proposed. The first four stages are devoted to the preclinical development while the next two steps concern the industrial implementation. Three categories of risk-assessment methods are used at different development steps: failure mode and effects analysis based on prior knowledge, statistical designs of experiments and Bayesian inference. To assess its applicability, we applied the integrated QbD approach to the development of a new medical device devoted to the realtime control of light during photodynamic therapy using nanoparticle-based photosensitizers. Results. The new SaaS platform, entitled “Nanologic”, is available at: (www.i-nano.eu). Four key documents for regulatory agencies are established during the preclinical study: the target product profile, the list of critical quality attributes (quality/safety descriptors), the list of critical material attributes and process parameters (risk factors associated with the design and production phases) and the design space: a key concept of risk assessment in QbD.Conclusion. We show how the QbD best practices can be adapted to the development of medical devices containing nanomaterials. Moreover, new questions still have to be investigated such as the solutions to be developed to better predict risks associated with the clinical proof of concept

Lack of Association between Anti-Phospholipid Antibodies (APLA) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Children

Numerous studies have shown the pathological influence anti-phospholipid antibodies (APLA) have on the physiology of the single neuron as well as the function of the entire human nervous system. The influence is well demonstrated in the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). This syndrome is characterized by a triad of arterial or venous thrombotic events, recurrent fetal loss and thrombocytopenic purpura. The syndrome exhibits different neurological pathologies such as: chorea, seizures, transverse myelopathy, migraine, cerebral ataxia, hemiballismus and transient global amnesia, which are not fully explained by the procoagulopathic trait of APLA. A study on mice induced with APS demonstrated hyperactive behavior when compared to the control group. The information gathered from these different studies raised the question whether APLA has any part in the etiology of Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) in children

Adolescents' self-reported health status, behaviours and health issues addressed during routine school doctor consultations in Switzerland: an observational study

BACKGROUND We aimed to investigate the self-reported health status and behaviours of 7th-grade adolescents, associations with gender and educational track, as well as health issues addressed during routine school doctor consultations in Switzerland. METHODS Data on health status and behaviours, specifically general well-being, stimulant and addictive substance use, bullying/violence, exercise, nutrition and health protection, and puberty/sexuality, were drawn from routinely collected self-assessment questionnaires from 1076 (of a total of 1126) students from 14 schools in the Swiss canton of Zug in 2020. Data on health issues addressed in school doctor consultations were collected by nine school doctors (for 595 individual consultations). Multilevel logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association of gender and educational track with unfavourable health status or behaviours. RESULTS Although 92% (n = 989) of the students reported being happy or satisfied overall, 21% (n = 215) often or almost always felt sad, and 5-10% had repeatedly been seriously physically hurt (n = 67), sexually harassed with words (n = 88) or experienced uncomfortable physical contact (n = 60). Female gender and a lower educational track were associated with unfavourable health status. In 90% (n = 533) of the school doctor consultations, at least one topic of disease prevention or health promotion was addressed, whereby the topics addressed depended strongly on the individual school doctors. CONCLUSIONS Our findings revealed that unfavourable health status and behaviours were prevalent among adolescents but the health topics addressed in school doctor consultations were not tailored to students' self-reported health issues. A school-based approach that strengthens adolescents' health literacy and provides opportunities for patient-centred counselling has the potential to improve the current and future health of adolescents and, ultimately, adults. To realise this potential, it is essential for school doctors to be sensitised and trained to address students' health concerns. Emphasis should be placed on the importance of patient-centred counselling, the high prevalence of bullying, and gender and educational differences

Prescription Rates, Polypharmacy and Prescriber Variability in Swiss General Practice—A Cross-Sectional Database Study

Purpose: The frequency of medication prescribing and polypharmacy has increased in recent years in different settings, including Swiss general practice. We aimed to describe patient age- and sex-specific rates of polypharmacy and of prescriptions of the most frequent medication classes, and to explore practitioner variability in prescribing.Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study based on anonymized electronic medical records data of 111 811 adult patients presenting to 116 Swiss general practitioners in 2019. We used mixed-effects regression analyses to assess the association of patient age and sex with polypharmacy (≥5 medications) and with the prescription of specific medication classes (second level of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System). Practitioner variability was quantified in terms of the random effects distributions.Results: The prevalence of polypharmacy increased with age from 6.4% among patients aged 18–40 years to 19.7% (41–64 years), 45.3% (65–80 years), and 64.6% (81–92 years), and was higher in women than in men, particularly at younger ages. The most frequently prescribed medication classes were antiinflammatory and antirheumatic products (21.6% of patients), agents acting on the renin-angiotensin system (19.9%), analgesics (18.7%), and drugs for acid related disorders (18.3%). Men were more often prescribed agents targeting the cardiovascular system, whereas most other medications were more often prescribed to women. The highest practitioner variabilities were observed for vitamins, for antiinflammatory and antirheumatic products, and for mineral supplements.Conclusion: Based on practitioner variability, prevalence, and risk potential, antiinflammatory drugs and polypharmacy in older patients appear to be the most pressing issues in current drug prescribing routines