Design of a sustainable microbrewery for artisanal Session IPA production

Beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage worldwide. Its industry generates more than 66 M€/year only in Spain, and this value is expected to increase in the coming years. In the project at hand, we describe the design of a small-scale brewery for the production of Session India Pale Ale. Our main objective is to achieve an annual production of about 150,000L, which can be translated to about 450,000 bottles per year. Moreover, we want to transform organic waste from the microbrewery into lactic acid. As a result of computer-aided design using SuperPro Designer ®, we will attain a reasonable theoretical yield while supporting sustainable industrial processes

Assessment of a primary care-based telemonitoring intervention for home care patients with heart failure and chronic lung disease. The TELBIL study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Telemonitoring technology offers one of the most promising alternatives for the provision of health care services at the patient's home. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of a primary care-based telemonitoring intervention on the frequency of hospital admissions.</p> <p>Methods/design</p> <p>A primary care-based randomised controlled trial will be carried out to assess the impact of a telemonitoring intervention aimed at home care patients with heart failure (HF) and/or chronic lung disease (CLD). The results will be compared with those obtained with standard health care practice. The duration of the study will be of one year. Sixty patients will be recruited for the study. In-home patients, diagnosed with HF and/or CLD, aged 14 or above and with two or more hospital admissions in the previous year will be eligible.</p> <p>For the intervention group, telemonitoring will consist of daily patient self-measurements of respiratory-rate, heart-rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, weight and body temperature. Additionally, the patients will complete a qualitative symptom questionnaire daily using the telemonitoring system. Routine telephone contacts will be conducted every fortnight and additional telephone contacts will be carried out if the data received at the primary care centre are out of the established limits. The control group will receive usual care. The primary outcome measure is the number of hospital admissions due to any cause that occurred in a period of 12 months post-randomisation. The secondary outcome measures are: duration of hospital stay, hospital admissions due to HF or CLD, mortality rate, use of health care resources, quality of life, cost-effectiveness, compliance and patient and health care professional satisfaction with the new technology.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The results of this study will shed some light on the effects of telemonitoring for the follow-up and management of chronic patients from a primary care setting. The study may contribute to enhance the understanding of alternative modes of health care provision for medically unstable elderly patients, who bear a high degree of physical and functional deterioration.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ISRCTN: <a href="http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN89041993">ISRCTN89041993</a></p

The consequences of implementing non-invasive prenatal testing with cell-free foetal DNA for the detection of Down syndrome in the Spanish National Health Service: a cost-effectiveness analysis

Abstract Background DNA-based non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) using maternal blood constitutes an emerging technology for the detection of Down syndrome (DS). The aim of the study was to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis to evaluate the economic costs and health implications of the introduction of NIPT based on cell-free foetal DNA analysis through different screening strategies for the detection of DS. Methods An analytical short-term decision model was developed, from the payer´s perspective (Spanish National Health Service). The main outcome measure was the number of DS cases detected. Secondary measures included associated miscarriages, women undergoing current screening, women undergoing NIPT, positive NIPT and invasive procedures performed. The study setting was the Spanish National Health Service. Three strategies were compared: (a) first- and second-trimester screening (current screening); (b) NIPT as contingent testing; and (c) NIPT as first-line testing. Modelling was based on a hypothetical cohort of 100,000 Spanish pregnant women. Population data were obtained from the database of the Basque Antenatal Screening Programme. Deterministic sensitivity analyses were performed to assess variations in the cost of NIPT, screening risk cut-off, screening uptake-rate and rate of failure of NIPT. Results NIPT as contingent testing (strategy b) led to fewer miscarriages following invasive procedures and a slight reduction in the number of DS cases detected compared to current screening. However, lowering the screening cut-off to ≥ 1:500 would improve the overall effectiveness of NIPT as contingent testing, increasing the number of DS cases detected and decreasing foetal losses as compared to the current screening, despite there would be an extra-cost of 3.5%. When NIPT was used as first-line testing (strategy c), the screening would be more effective but also more expensive, with incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) per additional case of DS detected of €1,299,763 and €1,232,763, compared with strategies a and b, respectively. Results were sensitive to the different parameters considered in the analysis. Conclusions Both, as first-line testing and as contingent testing when screening cut-off was lowered ≥ 1:500, NIPT would lead to more favourable outcomes as compared to the current screening (both in terms of DS cases detected and miscarriages avoided), but at a greater cost

Healthcare professional acceptance of telemonitoring for chronic care patients in primary care

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A pilot experimentation of a telemonitoring system for chronic care patients is conducted in the Bilbao Primary Care Health Region (Basque Country, Spain). It seems important to understand the factors related to healthcare professionals’ acceptance of this new technology in order to inform its extension to the whole healthcare system.</p> <p>This study aims to examine the psychosocial factors related to telemonitoring acceptance among healthcare professionals and to apply a theory-based instrument.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A validated questionnaire, based on an extension of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), was distributed to a total of 605 nurses, general practitioners and paediatricians. Logistic regression analysis was performed to test the theoretical model. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A response rate of 44.3% was achieved. The original TAM model was good at predicting intention to use the telemonitoring system. However, the extended model, that included other theoretical variables, was more powerful. Perceived Usefulness, Compatibility, and Facilitators were the significant predictors of intention. A detailed analysis showed that intention to use telemonitoring was best predicted by healthcare professionals’ beliefs that they would obtain adequate training and technical support and that telemonitoring would require important changes in their practice.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The extended TAM explained a significant portion of the variance in healthcare professionals' intention to use a telemonitoring system for chronic care patients in primary care. The perception of facilitators in the organisational context is the most important variable to consider for increasing healthcare professionals’ intention to use the new technology.</p