New Perspectives on the Bronze Age Textile Production in the Eastern Mediterranean : The First Results with Ebla as the Pilot Study

The systematic analyses of Bronze Age textile tools conducted by the Italian Ebla team (MAIS) and the Danish National Research Foundation\u2019s Centre for Textile Research (CTR) have made it possible to portray Ebla textile production. For weaving, the ground loom and the two-beam loom were the preferred technologies; the spinning tools, including spindle whorls, show gradual development and changes from the Early Bronze Age to the Middle Bronze Age, with the introduction of new types of tools and materials, reduced sizes and weights, likely indicating that thinner yarn and f ner textiles were becoming more abundant

User experience study to evaluate a clinical decision support system prototype supporting continuous kidney replacement therapy in a simulated ICU environment

Abstract Background The increasing amount of data routinely collected on ICUs poses a challenge for clinicians which is aggravated with data-heavy therapies like Continuous Kidney Replacement Therapy (CKRT). We developed the CKRT Supporting Software Prototype (CKRT-SSP), a clinical decision support system for use before, during and after CKRT. The aim of this user experience (UX) study was to prospectively evaluate CKRT–SSP in terms of usability, user experience, and workload in a simulated ICU setting. Methods We simulated CKRT treatments in a fully equipped single patient room in the ICU and evaluated CKRT-SSP using validated questionnaires: System Usability Scale (SUS) and User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). Furthermore, a modified NASA-TLX (task load index) compared the workload before and after using CKRT-SSP. Twelve clinicians and nurses participated in this study. Results The SUS reached a median value of 87.5 for CKRT-SSP, reflecting excellent usability. In the UEQ, CKRT-SSP scored clearly positive in the attractiveness dimension and the three task-related dimensions of clarity, efficiency, and dependability (95% CI fully > 0.8). For the two non-task-related dimensions, stimulation and novelty, there was a positive trend (mean > 0.8, lower limit of 95% CI < 0.8). The modified NASA-TLX suggests a trend to less total workload with CKRT-SSP which mainly is attributable to less physical demand and less effort. Conclusion CKRT-SSP is a promising tool for improving the workload in ICUs and the specific application of CKRT. We obtained valuable insights for further user-centric development

Nettle as a distinct bronze age textile plant

It is generally assumed that the production of plant fibre textiles in ancient Europe, especially woven textiles for clothing, was closely linked to the development of agriculture through the use of cultivated textile plants (flax, hemp). Here we present a new investigation of the 2800 year old Lusehøj Bronze Age Textile from Voldtofte, Denmark, which challenges this assumption. We show that the textile is made of imported nettle, most probably from the Kärnten-Steiermark region, an area which at the time had an otherwise established flax production. Our results thus suggest that the production of woven plant fibre textiles in Bronze Age Europe was based not only on cultivated textile plants but also on the targeted exploitation of wild plants. The Lusehøj find points to a hitherto unrecognized role of nettle as an important textile plant and suggests the need for a re-evaluation of textile production resource management in prehistoric Europe