HematoWork: A Knowledge-Based Workflow System for Distributed Cancer Therapy

The domain of hemato-oncology is characterized by a complex and data-intensive treatment and the involvement of geographically distributed institutions (e.g. oncological ward, central commission, external panels) in the context of protocol-directed trials. Current research efforts in this domain (e.g. [1-3]) focus on specialized subtasks such as chemotherapy calculation and toxicity monitoring, but fail to support inter-application data flow and coordination aspects which have been identified as essential for integration in heterogeneous and distributed clinical environments (e.g. [4,5]). Therefore, at Leipzig University, the distributed workflow system HEMATOWORK, which has explicit knowledge about the oncological treatment and the associated communication paths between the involved institutions, is currently developed. In particular, HEMATOWORK intends to support the following basic tasks: Treatment Functionality: This core functionality of HEMATOWORK covers therapy management and diagnostic monitoring, and is achieved through specialized applications (e.g. for calculating chemotherapy dosages) and databases coordinated by HEMATOWORK. Intra-hospital Communication Functionality: As every specialized medical workflow system inherently requires services of other local sections and departments

HematoWork: a Knowledge-based Workflow System for Distributed Cancer Therapy

The domain of hemato-oncology is characterized by a complex and data-intensive treatment and the involvement of geographically distributed institutions (e.g. oncological ward, central commission, external panels) in the context of protocol-directed trials. Current research efforts in this domain (e.g. [1-3]) focus on specialized subtasks such as chemotherapy calculation and toxicity monitoring, but fail to support inter-application data flow and coordination aspects which have been identified as essential for integration in heterogeneous and distributed clinical environments (e.g. [4,5]). Therefore, at Leipzig University, the distributed workflow system HEMATOWORK, which has explicit knowledge about the oncological treatment and the associated communication paths between the involved institutions, is currently developed. In particular, HEMATOWORK intends to support the following basic tasks

Electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide and methane at an immobilized cobalt protoporphyrin

The electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide and water into useful products is a major challenge in facilitating a closed carbon cycle. Here we report a cobalt protoporphyrin immobilized on a pyrolytic graphite electrode that reduces carbon dioxide in an aqueous acidic solution at relatively low overpotential (0.5 V), with an efficiency and selectivity comparable to the best porphyrin-based electrocatalyst in the literature. While carbon monoxide is the main reduction product, we also observe methane as by-product. The results of our detailed pH-dependent studies are explained consistently by a mechanism in which carbon dioxide is activated by the cobalt protoporphyrin through the stabilization of a radical intermediate, which acts as Bronsted base. The basic character of this intermediate explains how the carbon dioxide reduction circumvents a concerted proton-electron transfer mechanism, in contrast to hydrogen evolution. Our results and their mechanistic interpretations suggest strategies for designing improved catalysts